UFC 242 is now one month away and the main event will feature the highly anticipated return of Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier. And as the event creeps upon us, the UFC has rolled out the official poster for the event:
The poster evokes a big-fight feel, as it should for this huge title unification bout. This will be Khabib Nurmagomedov’s second lightweight title defense since capturing the title from Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 last year. In Nurmagomedov’s most recent bout, he submitted Conor McGregor in the fourth round to retain the strap. This time, he will look to put an end to Dustin Poirier’s five-fight winning streak in front of an Abu Dhabi crowd that is expected to be pro-Nurmagomedov.
As for Dustin Poirier, this will be his first opportunity at official UFC gold, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the 30-year old who looks to be in his physical prime, as his five-fight winning streak suggests. Poirier will be coming into this bout with gold himself, though, as he captured the interim lightweight championship from Max Holloway at UFC 236.
In addition to the big main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier, below is the full current UFC 242 fight card:
Main Event: UFC Lightweight Championship Bout: Khabib Nurmagomedov © vs. Dustin Poirier (IC)
Edson Barboza vs. Paul Felder
Curtis Blaydes vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov
Islam Makhachev vs. Davi Ramos
Mairbek Taisumov vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Khalid Taha vs. Bruno Silva
Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato
Liana Jojua vs. Sarah Moras
Nordine Taleb vs. Muslim Salikhov
Joanne Calderwood vs. Andrea Lee
Omari Akhmedov vs. Zak Cummings
Magomed Mustafaev vs. Don Madge
Puna Soriano vs. Adam Yandiev
UFC 242 takes place September 7, 2019 from the du Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
