A heavyweight bout between Shamil Abdurakhimov and Curtis Blaydes is the latest addition to September’s UFC 242 lineup.
Abdurakhimov (20-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) today verified he’s signed on for the matchup with Blaydes (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on social media following an initial report from MMA journalist Farah Hannoun earlier this week (via Instagram):
In all media they already write that the battle will take place on September 7 in Abu Dhabi, rumors are leaking instantly, although the contract has not yet been signed on both sides, it is still in development, for my part I have already signed, I am waiting for the signature of the opponent and the battle InshaAlag will take place
# Shamilabdurahimov #ufc
Inshaal only victory ☝️
UFC 242 takes place Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.
Abdurakhimov, 37, is an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA heavyweight rankings after putting together a three-fight winning streak in the octagon. His two most recent wins are the most noteworthy, with him finishing Marcin Tybura and outpointing former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski.
Looking to stop the Russian’s streak will be No. 7-ranked Blaydes, 28, who recently scored a critical bounce back performance against Justin Willis at UFC on ESPN+ 6 in March. Prior to that win, “Razor” had suffered a 45-second TKO loss to Francis Ngannou in what was his first UFC headliner. The outcome is Blaydes’ only defeat in his past eight UFC bouts.
The latest UFC 242 card now includes:
- Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Curtis Blaydes
- Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato
- Ottman Azaitar vs. Teemu Packalen
For more on UFC 242, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
