UFC 242: Khabib v Poirier to be broadcast free-to-air on Russian state ‘First Channel’ The much-anticipated UFC lightweight title showdown between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi on September 7 will be available to Russian audiences free of charge on the state ‘First Channel.’
The Russian champion’s first title defense since last year’s victory (and subsequent suspension) against Conor McGregor is already guaranteed to be one of the year’s most-watched fights, but that potential audience has now expanded even further, as RT Sport learned that Russia-wide channel Pervy Kanal (First Channel) will broadcast the event free-to-air.
The channel claims a total global audience of around 250 million and is expected to draw a massive viewing audience given Nurmagomedov’s huge popularity in his home country.
Previously UFC cards that featured Nurmagomedov were broadcast on Match TV, which is also free-to-air, but UFC 242 being aired on Pervy Kanal represents an entry into a much more diverse, mainstream audience than before.
Since the establishment of UFC Russia last year, UFC cards are aired in Russia via Cable Vision, which operates under a monthly subscription service.
Another benefit to the Russian audience will be the fact that only one hour’s time difference between Abu Dhabi and Moscow will mean a far more palatable start time for the card, as most events taking place in the United States begin around 3 am in Russia’s capital city.
A significant audience is expected to tune in to UFC 242 to see Nurmagomedov defend his title against the significant challenge that his opponent, Dustin Poirier, represents. That viewing figure could swell further if former champion Conor McGregor attends the event, as is rumored.
ANAHEIM, California — The preliminary fights for UFC 242 on Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, will begin much earlier than usual. But they can be found on a familiar network.
Because of a conflict with the first major weekend of college football on ESPN and ESPN2, the network made the decision for this card only to put the prelims on FX. The UFC put fights on FX, as well as its reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” when the network was owned by Fox.
FX is now in the Disney family after having been acquired in a deal with Fox. The decision was made to put the preliminaries for UFC 242 on FX because of the conflicts with college football and because of MMA fans’ familiarity with the network.
The preliminaries will be on much earlier than usual, going from 12-2 p.m. ET on Sept. 7.
The pay-per-view portion of the card, which is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Dustin Poirier, will be on ESPN+, as has been the case for all pay-per-view events since the ESPN-UFC partnership that began this year
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs Dustin Poirier UFC 242 full Guide
UFC 242 Khabib vs Dustin is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will be held on Sep 7, 2019, at The Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The main card and the preliminary fights will be shown UFC 242 live on BT Sport 2. Alternatively, if you don’t have BT Sport, you can watch the prelims on the UFC’s Fight Pass service. The preliminary fights will get underway at Sat, Sep 7 / 8:00 PM CEST, with the main card kicking off.
Where to watch Poirier Vs Khabib UFC 242 Live Free online?
The fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs Dustin Poirier Fight is expected to be watched live by millions of people across the globe. The ticket for the match is available and many people are demanding the ticket. Many people who want the ticket may not get it because of the rush. However, there are various options to watch UFC 242 Live Online.
7 Sep Main card The Arena
UFC 242 Khabib Dustin
Wins 27-0 25-5
Age 30 Year 30 Year
Height 1.78m 1.75m
Weight 70.3Kg 70.3Kg
Reach 177.8m 182.9cm
UFC 242 will take place at. The Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Sep 7 / 8:00 PM CEST While the pre-show starts at 8 PM local time (4 PM PST /7 PM EST). Luckily, you don’t have to travel to Abu Dhabi (U.A.E to see what happens as all of the action will be streamed live online. Below, we’ll explain how you can watch UFC 242 live online from countries like the US, Canada, and the UK.
UFC 242 Fight Card
Lightweight Main Event Khabib Nurmagomedov 27-0-0 Dustin Poirier 25-5-0
Lightweight Co-Main Edson Barboza 20-7-0 Paul Felder 16-4-0
Lightweight Islam Makhachev 17-1-0 Davi Ramos 10-2-0
Heavyweight Cutis Blaydes 11-2-0 Shamil Abdurakhimov 20-4-0
Lightweight Mairbek Taisumov 27-5-0 Carlos Diego Ferreira 15-2-0
UFC 242 Main card & Prelims (ESPN+ PPV),
Light Weight Main Event: Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs Dustin Poirier
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad Vs Takashi Sato
Light Heavyweight: IslamMakhachev Vs Davi Ramos
Heavy Weight: ShamilAbdurakhimov Vs Curtis Blaydes
Light Weight: Mairbek Taisumov Vs Carlos Diego Ferreira.
Watch UFC 242 streaming free?
Is it possible to watch UFC 242 streaming free? Yes, it is possible to watch it free, but it is one hundred percent illegal. If you are caught, you could be punished for that, because it is against the law. Having said that, you can watch through any of the paid channels and stay safe.
Many people will stream the fight free in such social media sites like YouTube, Twitter as well as Facebook and so on. In the same way, Reddit could stream UFC 242 free for its members. The stream is not actually free in the real sense of the word. This is because the person airing the match to social media sites does so through BT Sport channel. This means that they must first subscribe before they can transmit live to you through their social media websites.
It is not easy to discover any television channel that will broadcast that big fight free. Sonny live is one of the stations that can stream that fight free. The only problem is that like other television channels, it is geo-restricted. This means that you can access it through VPN service. With this service, it will be easy for you to bypass all geo-restrictions that make it impossible for you to watch that fight live in your region.
Watch UFC Online for Free
The thing with MMA is, some of the headline fights last under 40 seconds, making you wonder whether it’s worth the investment of paying a one-time fee or even a subscription. Especially if watching the fights at a bar isn’t your thing, it could simply make more sense for you to stream or torrent UFC fights. Let’s take a look at some of your best options.
Cable remains the most convenient method of watching streaming channels. There are various channels in the US, which you can use to watch the fight. One of the best television cable channels you can use to watch the fight is the DirectTV. DirectTV has different sports channels where you can watch different programs streamed live.
HOW CAN I LIVE STREAM UFC 242? HOW TO WATCH UFC 242 ONLINE:
Purchasing UFC 242 will be a little bit different from past pay-per-views. Tonight’s event is the second UFC pay-per-view exclusive to ESPN+ and not available through U.S. TV providers. If you’re a new subscriber to ESPN +, you can order UFC 242 and an annual ESPN+ subscription for $79.99. Note: Your annual ESPN+ subscription will auto-renew (which means you’ll be charged $49.99) at the end of your subscription, so be sure to cancel before it runs out if you don’t want to be charged for another year.
If you already have an ESPN+ subscription or just don’t want to purchase a subscription, UFC 242 is also available to order for $59.99. ESPN+ does offer a free trial, but UFC 242 is not included in that offer (or with a standard subscription to ESPN+).
The early preliminary fights will also be available to stream on ESPN+, and you can watch UFC 242’s preliminary bouts from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET via Watch ESPN (with a cable login) or with a Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, or PlayStation Vue subscription.
How to Watch UFC 242 Poirier Vs Khabib outside in the USA
BT Sports will show UFC 242 live and this will be beamed live for fans in the US. BT Sport is geo-restricted. If you are outside the allowed area, it will not be easy for you to watch the fight. Because of that, there are alternatives for people outside the US to watch such fights live and this is how they can do that.
How to watch UFC 242 through a social media channel
If you are looking for an easy and affordable way to watch UFC 242 Khabib Vs Dustin fight between these fighters, then you have to think of using social media website. Some of the sites that could be streaming the fight such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and several others.
Twitter
Twitter is one of the fastest-growing social media sites. It is enjoying millions of users. Many fans can stream the fight live and you can watch it through multiple channels on the internet. Many users will like it because it may not cost anything to use this service if you are streaming from friends and followers, it may not cost you anything to watch the fight.
Facebook
When you talk of the social media sites, your mind will go to Facebook. It is the most prominent media sites. If you have Facebook likes and followers, you can always make money and watch fights through Facebook. Some of your friends may decide to show the fight live and you can watch it live. It does not demand payment if you watch through your friends.
UFC 242 Reddit Stream
UFC 242 free Reddit is another site you can watch the fight. It does not matter whether you are in the USA or any other part of the world you can watch it through special Reddit channels.
YouTube
This is the most popular video channel on the internet today. Hundreds of videos are uploaded here and it is expected that many people could decide to air the video of the match live.
UFC 242 PPV Live Stream
UFC 242 is a pay-per-view event which means it will be difficult for viewers to find a free UFC 242 live stream. However, Fox Sports is the official broadcaster that will stream the event live for free, but it is geo-restricted.
The event is a lightweight fight and it was announced to commemorate the silver jubilee celebration of the UFC. The organizers expect to earn money through different methods. First is the ticket, which is already on sale. Millions of dollars will be raised here.
Another way of earning money is through the PPV, which stands for pay per view. Irrespective of channels you want to watch the fight, you have to pay before you can even access the service.
UFC 242 Kodi streams
UFC 242 IslamMakhachev Vs Davi Ramos promises to be yet another thrilling main event fight. Nunes is King to most UFC lovers and is definitely the favorite for this fight, but Islam Makhachev is in great form at the moment and could clinch the victory with his aggressive style of play.
Whoever is to win, we have set expectations to experience a fierce battle between these two amazing athletes. And if you don’t want to miss the free UFC 242 live stream, get FastestVPN and watch UFC on Roku live without any restrictions and delays.
If you want to use Kodi, then you must learn how to use the Kodi addons with this available to stream the fight live to you. Whether you watch the fight through Kodi, then you must pay for it because this service is not free. You must watch the fight through a method known as pay per view. There is also the Kodi box with which you can use to watch the fight. The benefit of this is that you are not going to use any proxy.
What Does UFC 242 Starting Time
UFC242 Poirier Vs Khabib Main Card Lightweight Championship starting time. This is the most important question among the UFC fans when does the UFC 242 Poirier Vs Khabib Starting time? so the answer is Pay per view: 2pm/11am ETPT on ESPN+ in USA and PPV: 10 pm GST on Abu Dhabi Sports 4 in U.A.E.
UFC 242 Date, Venue, Estimated Purse
UFC 242 Date for the fight again in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, there are many other popular fights taking place at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Sep 7, 2019. It is estimated that it will generate millions of dollars and millions of fans will watch it across the globe. The venue will be filled to capacity.
Buy UFC 242 ticket
The UFC 242 ticket for the match is already on sale. You can buy from any of the authorized dealers. The ticket is available for different categories of viewers including VIP and so on.
Internet TV
UFC 242 free stream on UFC is definitely the biggest stage to watch the elite, top-level mix martial arts fighters. Apart from Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs Dustin Poirier free, there are many other popular fights taking place
List of UFC 242 Streaming Services
Some channels hold the right to broadcast UFC 242 in specific regions. The official broadcasters open the access to the rightful subscribers to watch UFC 242 live streaming. So, if you notice the channels that we mentioned above included in the media streaming services you subscribe, you are in luck.
Poirier vs Khabib Betting Odds
Poirier vs Khabib UFC 242 is heating UP you can easily Betting Poirier vs Khabib. Both fighters are equally strong and best in skills, You can easily bet on your favorite fighter by rewatching of their previous fights, Poirier Vs Khabib UFC 242 Odds Betting will be open till the fight. This is the most discussable topic these days especially for UFC fans which fighter will win. Because they want to make money by their fight and pick the best fighter according to the best fighting skills. Khabib vs Poirier Odds is now in trending these days.
UFC 242
UFC has always been a fascinating martial art sports event where wrestlers take place in the fight. ufc 242 live stream khabib vs Poirier live stream is one of the main attractions of this event as he is one of those contestants in UFC who never lost a single match in his UFC career whereas Poirier is a very consistent performer of UFC.
Khabib is a very strong man of 155-pound who participated in 27 fights in MMA & won all of them. He also played 11 games in UFC & won all of them too. That proves how indomitable he is in this sport. His opponent Poirier is also efficient enough as he won 25 out of 30 MMA fights & 17 out of 21 UFC fights.
WATCH THE WORLD’S BIGGEST FIGHTS ONE AT A TIME.
Location: du Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Trending
Date: Saturday, September 7, 2019 Source
Venue: The Arena, Yas Island
City: Abu Dhabi
Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
The fight is set to take place in Abu Dhabi in September. It is considered as one of the most anticipated fights of the year. That’s why to increase the hype of this fight, the UFC has decided to arrange a press conference in the English capital so that these two fighters can express their opinions about the upcoming fight. Both the fighters showed utmost respectful to one another since the fight was announced & the viewers all around the world can expect a great fight between them when it takes place.
Though Khabib was asked a lot about his earlier opponent McGregor whom he beat in UFC 229. One reporter asked Khabib if he wanted a rematch against McGregor.
“Last three years he has only one victory in amateur boxing,” he replied to the reporters. “How does he deserve a rematch?”
“He tapped. He begged me: ‘Please don’t kill me,’ you know? Now he’s talking about a rematch?” he said too. Though he confessed later that he doesn’t want to get bothered about him anymore & he is fully concentrating on the match against Pourier.
“I have a lot of works without him. Right now I focus on September 7.” he said.
On the other hand, Pourier is probably considered as the underdog heading into his UFC lightweight title unification bout with KhabibNurmagomedov, but he believes says he’s heading into their UFC 242 headliner armed to the teeth as he thinks he is well qualified enough to beat Khabib so that he can become world champion. He admits that fight against Khabib can be one of the toughest fights of his whole career but he wants to leave his footsteps in UFC by beating Khabib on September 7. “Experience, self-belief, my mindset. I’m focused on making history, and that’s all I care about,” he told MMA Junkie at the UFC 242 Live Stream news conference.
“That’s what the next 11 weeks of my life are doing to be: to prepare for 25 minutes, to do whatever I have to do to get my hand raised.” He said about his preparation for the upcoming fight.
Though Poirier knows very well aboutNurmagomedov’s record, or how skilled he is. Instead, he paid tribute to Khabib but also expressed his wish to beat the Russian & wanted to give him such an awful experience which he hasn’t experienced so far in his whole career.
“I don’t need to find huge holes (in his game) – the guy’s good, you know?” he said. “I can’t sit up here and say anything bad about the guy – he’s good. He’s a world champ.”
“But I’m going to make things happen in there and bring him to places he’s never been in there. So that’s just it.”
And Poirier confesses he is working so hard & he has learned so many things over the course of his 30-fight mixed martial arts career which will surely make him formidable against the undefeated champion when he will fight against him on September 7.
“I’ve learned that I can count on myself, that I can trust me,” he stated. “Adversity introduces a man to himself, and I’ve been through it, man.
“So I’m well acquainted, and I’m ready to rock.”
That shows that Pourier is very much confident about himself. He believes in his ability & if he can apply himself in the fight, it will surely be a mouth-watering fight to watch.
Khabib also thinks that Pourier has improved a lot in the recent past.
“I think he has very good boxing, much better than before. Every fight he becomes stronger, better in boxing on his feet.
“I think he deserves a title shot. He already interim UFC lightweight champion, I am really lightweight champion. We have to fight.”
Injury has prevented Nurmagomedov from being very active the last six years, though he’s planning for a busy few months.
UFC 242 fight card
There are several fights to take place in ufc which are categorized under weights of the participants. The main fight is between KhabibNurmagomedov &Dustin Poirier (ic) in the lightweight category of 155lbs. There are some other fight cards under lightweight & heavyweight categories which are given below :
265 lbs.: ShamilAbdurakhimov vs. Curtis Blaydes (Heavyweight)
155 lbs.: Islam Makhachev vs. Davi Ramos (Lightweight)
155 lbs.: Diego Ferreira vs. MairbekTaisumov (Lightweight)
UFC 242 latest news
KhabibNurmagomedov’s camp recently gave warning to Khabib’s rival Conor McGregor to be secured enough if he wishes to arrive in Abu Dhabi.
The Russian star will appear in the ufc 242 live stream championship to defend his title against Dustin Poirier in the Abu Dhabi on September 7 after he had beaten the Irishman in a breathtaking fight on last October.
Meanwhile, McGregor was offered a cage-side sea tuff president Dana White to watch the fight of Khabib against the Pourier.
But Khabib Nurmagomedov’s trainer Javier Mendez has already notified about issued the sensitive issue regarding McGregor’s personal attacks against Khabib’s religion & his family members.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, his trainer Mendez said: “If Conor shows up I think they better have a lot of security – that’s a Muslim country and I don’t think he’s made many friends.
“He better come well protected as a lot of people take offense to how he attacked Khabib’s country, their religion and attacked his father.” He added too.
Mendez also said, “The three things that they’re known to adore and hold dearer than life are those three things. Conor knows what he’s doing and he attacked those three things and he did the worst thing you could ever do by attacking his wife.”
Previously Khabib defeated the Irishman at UFC 229 but he threw some unpleasant words at him which was totally unacceptable to him.
UFC lightweight champion KhabibNurmagomedov has told his rival Conor McGregor to behave himself ahead of his September title defense against Dustin Poirier, warning the Irishman that his ‘shenanigans’ won’t work in Abu Dhabi.
Nurmagomedovwill undertakes the second defense of his championship at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi on September 7 against interim titleholder Poirier. However, given the heated nature of the Russian’s rivalry with McGregor, it seems that the Irishman is still very much on his mind.
Both fighters have been involved in several incidents dating back more than a year. Nurmagomedov and several members of his team antagonized McGregor’s teammate Artem Lobov in Brooklyn in April 2018, prompting McGregor to board a flight from Dublin to New York to confront Nurmagomedov, leading to the now-infamous ‘bus attack’ which transpired in the car park of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, ultimately leading to McGregor’s arrest.
At their fight in October of last year, which Nurmagomedov won by fourth-round submission, the Russian was handed a suspension for his part in inciting a post-fight brawl inside and outside of the cage with members of McGregor’s team.
Nurmagomedov has warned McGregor that any repeat of these incidents will not be looked on kindly in the predominantly Muslim Abu Dhabi.
“It will be more difficult to leave Abu Dhabi than New York,” Khabib said to Russia’s Rossiya-24.
“If he wants to come, he should sit and watch the fights because it will be impossible to pull any of his underhanded tricks there because Abu Dhabi is not New York by any means.
UFC 242 date, start time
Event: UFC 242: “KhabibNurmagomedov & Dustin Poirier ”
Date: Sat., Sept. 7, 2019
Time : 12:00 AM + 6
Location: The Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (PPV), ESPN
How to watch UFC 242 Khabib vs Poirier Live Stream
Famous sports telecast channel ESPN has taken a great move by announcing a partnership with UFC for telecasting the most anticipating matches of UFC history. A deal had been which began on Jan 1, 2019. The deal is said to run for five years. It was confirmed in a press release of ESPN that the deal is worth $750 million.
According to that deal, ESPN will work as the new streaming service of UFC for five years. Besides, viewers can watch the match online. There is also an application in google play store by using which the viewers can watch the match live. There is also a pay per view system for the live streaming of the match.
ufc 242 live
ufc 242 live stream: Khabib vs Poirier is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that is planned to take place on September 7, 2019, at du Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. day pass Signup
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov called back to his antics at UFC 229 last year, saying he’ll stay in the cage at ufc 242 live stream this September.
The undisputed UFC lightweight champion will be determined at the end of the summer when Khabib Nurmagomedovand Dustin Poirier collide for the belt at Ufc 242 live stream.
The event takes place Sept. 7 at The Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Following Friday’s summer news conference in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and Poirier (25-5 MMA, 17-4 UFC) came face to face for the final time before heading overseas to share the octagon. ufc 242 live stream.
ufc 242 live stream
ufc 242 live stream | Khabib’s return will mark the end of an 11-month absence. His nine-month ban ends on July 6. He was also fined $500,000. McGregor was himself banned for six months and fined $50,000. Members of the Russian’s team were also involved in a fracas with the beaten McGregor.
Nurmagomedov, hailing from Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, was the first Russian to win the UFC champion’s belt during the fight against his U.S. opponent Al Iaquinta in the spring of 2018. The 30-year-old Russian fighter, nicknamed ‘The Eagle,’ currently holds an unblemished record of 27 wins in all of his mixed martial arts fights (8 by KOs, 9 by submission and 10 by decision)
ufc 242 live stream | Poirier, who is coming off a fabulous win over UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway this past April to claim the interim lightweight title, will be looking to pull off the biggest victory of his career when he meets Khabib this September. Not only will “Diamond” be fighting close to enemy territory, but he’ll be testing his skill against a fighter who has never lost a round in UFC competition.
Dustin Poirier began his mixed martial arts career in 2007 fighting as an amateur on local cards, most of which were in his home state of Louisiana. He turned pro in 2009, subsequently finishing all of his opponents on his way to getting signed by the WEC. He would lose a decision in his first fight but bounce back quickly with a first-round finish of Zachary Micklewright a few months later.
UFC 242
UFC 242: Khabib vs Poirier Live Stream, watch online, start time, fight card, TV coverage, PPV price
The Eagle” KhabibNurmagomedov who Is The lightweight champion Of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Takes On interim 155-pound titlist Dustin Poirier “The Diamond” in the main event of UFC 242.The second defense of his crown.
The UFC 242 pay-per-view (PPV) main event, scheduled for Sat., Sept. 7, 2019, in Abu Dhabi.
“The Eagle” KhabibNurmagomedo (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) technically is still under a nine-month suspension for inciting the brawl last October following a submission win over Conor McGregor. Aside from his disciplinary suspension handed down by “Sin City” regulators — “The Eagle” took the summer off for Ramadan. His term ends July 6, well before UFC 242 on Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi.
His opponent, Poirier has been on a hot streak as of late and picked up arguably the biggest win of his career in April as he defeated 145lb champion Max Holloway by the decision to clinch the interim lightweight title.
Nurmagomedov The No 3-ranked fighter in UFC “The Eagle” has never lost a UFC fight and is the lightweight champion, one of the organization’s most popular figures, boasts a flawless record in mixed martial arts (MMA), with 27 victories from 27 professional fights. While Poirier “The Diamond” has 25 wins and five losses from 31 bouts, He is the interim titleholder after most recent beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April.
Khabib’s return will mark the end of an 11-month absence. His nine-month ban ends on July 6. He was also fined $500,000. McGregor was himself banned for six months and fined $50,000. Members of the Russian’s team were also involved in a fracas with the beaten McGregor.
Nurmagomedov, hailing from Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan, was the first Russian to win the UFC champion’s belt during the fight against his U.S. opponent Al Iaquinta in the spring of 2018. The 30-year-old Russian fighter, nicknamed ‘The Eagle,’ currently holds an unblemished record of 27 wins in all of his mixed martial arts fights (8 by KOs, 9 by submission and 10 by decision).
Nurmagomedov is a specialist of the highest order in grappling and ground-and-pound, so naturally, the choices of who could beat him are focused on those with the best chance of besting – or at least neutralizing – the smothering pressure he brings when the fight hits the canvas.
The aftermath of his fourth-round submission victory resulted in Nurmagomedov receiving a prolonged suspension for his part in the post-fight melee, which also led to suspensions levied upon McGregor, as well as several of the Russian’s teammates.
Poirier earned the shot with a unanimous decision over featherweight champion Max Holloway in April, which was his fourth in a row overall including three by knockout or TKO. Despite those credentials, Ferguson believes Poirier has some bad habits that will come back to haunt him when he faces Nurmagomedov.
Before that, The Diamond had defeated a murderer’s row of lightweight contenders including Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis to cement himself as a major contender in the division.
The Pair Will Square Off at the Arena on Yas Island. The Main Event of Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Poirier, who is coming off a fabulous win over UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway this past April to claim the interim lightweight title, will be looking to pull off the biggest victory of his career when he meets Khabib this September. Not only will “Diamond” be fighting close to enemy territory, but he’ll be testing his skill against a fighter who has never lost a round in UFC competition.
Dustin Poirier began his mixed martial arts career in 2007 fighting as an amateur on local cards, most of which were in his home state of Louisiana. He turned pro in 2009, subsequently finishing all of his opponents on his way to getting signed by the WEC. He would lose a decision in his first fight but bounce back quickly with a first-round finish of Zachary Micklewright a few months later.
That fact may plant seeds of doubt into even the most confident of fighters, but “The Diamond” has been around the game long enough not to concern himself with the Russian world champion’s unblemished record. Instead, Poirier says, he’s focusing on what he will do when the pair finally meet in the desert on September 7.
While some fighters pick apart their opponent’s past fights and seek to exploit perceived holes in their technique, Poirier is focusing on controlling the controllable and making sure he gives his best performance on fight night.
Currently holding an interim title is Poirier, who has won his last five fights (excluding one no contest). “The Diamond” earned his belt with a unanimous decision win over Max Holloway (the reigning featherweight champion who was moving up in weight to fight Poirier) at UFC 236. Shortly after that victory, UFC president Dana White declared that Poirier would be next to challenge Nurmagomedov.
Poirier is deserving of a title shot against Nurmagomedov. The 30-year-old is unbeaten in his previous six fights dating back to February 2017. He won the interim lightweight title at UFC 236 by defeating Max Holloway via unanimous decision.
Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier is expected to take place at Some Point in September, assuming both parties remain healthy (and Drama free). No question the lines will shift in each direction between now and then.
UFC 242 marks the beginning of a partnership between the UFC and the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism, a deal which will see the organization hold several world title bouts in the region through the next five years.
The company officially announced the event scheduled has been confirmed for UFC 242 on Sept. 7: at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Subtitle: “The Diamond” and “The Eagle” face off for the undisputed lightweight title.
One of the biggest fights expected to take place this year is finally official.
Dustin Poirier will indeed, be the next man to throw hands with KhabibNurmagomedov.
“That’s a big challenge to go over there,” Poirier said. “(Nurmagomedov is) probably one of the biggest Muslim stars, sports stars for sure. To go into enemy territory and fight their guy is going to be a huge challenge. But that’s what you sign up for.”
With the main event now official, the UFC 242 lineup currently includes:
Nurmagomedov went on social media to start promoting the showdown in the UAE. He wrote: “Welcome aboard Dustin Poirier.”
I go there all the time and when I go there it’s crazy. I even can’t walk in the streets,” he said.
“Before the fight happened, I talked with a lot of big guys in the Emirates. They said they are working on this and my focus was on Abu Dhabi before they announced this fight.”
“I’m not surprised why UFC made this event in Abu Dhabi. I’m not surprised,” added Nurmagomedov.
Poirier has been on a noteworthy run since he moved from featherweight to lightweight in April 2015. Poirier’s record during that stretch is 9-1 with one no contest. He is currently unbeaten in his past six outings and he has earned five fight-night bonus awards during that stretch.
Poirier laid out his plan. “Just be myself, go out there and show the world what I’m capable of,” Poirier said. “Twenty-seven have tried, and 27 have failed.
“It’s going to be a very high-level fight,” Poirier said. “We’ve got two guys on the pound-for-pound list. One of the themes undefeated, both of them is champions. Two champions are going in, one champion is coming out.
Poirier knows he’s the underdog heading into the contest, but his answers came across very much like a man comfortable with his abilities and confident he can execute on fight night.
Nurmagomedov has been impressed by ‘The Diamond’s’ recent form, saying: “Dustin has impressed me.”I think he has very good boxing, much better than before. Every fight he becomes stronger, better in boxing on his feet.
“I think he deserves a title shot. He already interim UFC lightweight champion, I am really lightweight champion. We have to fight.”
Injury has prevented Nurmagomedov from being very active the last six years, though he’s planning for a busy few months.
The American had never previously fought for a UFC title, before the Holloway fight, and is now on a five-fight winning streak, with a no-contest against Eddie Alvarez in the middle of the run.
Poirier is an excellent striker who lands an average of 5.75 significant strikes per minute at a 49% accuracy. The Diamond, however, also absorbs an average of 4.08 significant strikes per minute and has a striking defense of just 56%. On the ground, Poirier is averaging just 1.63 takedowns per 15 minutes at an accuracy of just 37%.
Poirier’s game is centered on his striking. The Diamond has power in his fists and he can throw punches in bunches. He is also an excellent counter-striker who has a very high fight IQ. The thing with Poirier is that he’s lost before and he knows what it is to be on the other side. He’s been an underdog for so long that he doesn’t even think about the odds when he fights. When he’s inside the octagon, it’s just pure focus on beating his opponent.
