Khabib Nurmagomedov to face Justin Gaethje on Oct 24
Khabib Nurmagomedov will take on Justin Gaethje for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) undisputed lightweight crown on Oct 24, the mixed martial arts promotion's chief Dana White said.
Nurmagomedov, 31, unified the lightweight title with a third-round submission win over interim champion Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi last September, but has not fought since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Dagestan native's father and coach Abdulmanap died earlier this month due to complications after contracting the virus.
"It's been very rough on him... his father was a hero to him, he loved his father, they had a very close relationship and it was very hard on him," White told CNN.
The UFC has been staging bouts in its "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi during the virus outbreak but White did not disclose the location of the fight.
Gaethje scored a surprise knockout win over Tony Ferguson in May to claim the interim lightweight title at UFC 249. - REUTERS
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