Curtis Blaydes vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov announced for UFC 242

By Alexander K. Lee@AlexanderKLee

MMAfighting.com

Heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Shamil Abdurakhimov will jockey for position in Abu Dhabi.

Officials announced Monday that Blaydes and Abdurakhimov will meet at UFC 242 on Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi. The bout was first reported to be in the works by Farah Hannoun.

After a disappointing loss to Francis Ngannou, “Razor” returned to the win column with a unanimous decision nod over Justin Willis at UFC Nashville in March. Blaydes (11-2, 1 NC) has won five of his last six fights.

Abdurakhimov (20-4) has steadily risen up the ranks, winning his last three fights, including knockout wins over Marcin Tybura and Chase Sherman. His UFC record stands at 5-2.

UFC 242 will be headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Dustin Poirier.

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