Breaking: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier Official For UFC 242
It’s official.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will be facing Dustin Poirier at the UFC 242 pay-per-view (PPV) in Abu Dhabi on September 7. For a second, it sounded like Khabib might be holding out for an opponent such as Tony Ferguson or Conor McGregor. However, UFC President Dana White made the announcement official today (Tues. June 4, 2019) on SportsCenter:
Poirier captured the interim 155-pound title back in April. He defeated 145-pound champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 236. Now, he’ll unify his strap with the undisputed champion, Khabib. “The Eagle” hasn’t competed since October. He successfully retained his title over Conor McGregor, submitting the Irishman in the fourth round.
However, after the bout, Khabib jumped the Octagon and attacked McGregor cornerman Dillon Danis. The incident sparked a team vs. team brawl inside and outside of the Octagon. Now, after a few fines and suspensions were handed out, things seem to have smoothed over. Khabib looks to extend his ridiculous undefeated record to 28-0 against Poirier.
“The Diamond” brings some interesting abilities to the table, including some of the heaviest hands in the division. The question remains, will it be enough to finally topple the Russian grappler? We’ll find out soon enough.
