Sandhagen-Nurmagomedov to headline UFC Abu Dhabi

A pivotal bantamweight fight between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov has been rebooked to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena, the UFC announced Monday morning.

Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were scheduled to square off in the UFC Nashville main event last August, but Nurmagomedov withdrew from the fight due to a shoulder injury.

Sandhagen went on to dominate Rob Font and pick up a unanimous decision victory at the event to extend his winning streak to three. The No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender also defeated Marlon "Chito" Vera in 2023.

Nurmagomedov, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib, is ranked No. 9 in the division and has been considered one of the most promising bantamweights in recent years. The undefeated Russian is coming off a unanimous decision win over Bekzat Almakhan in March and is 5-0 in the promotion.

Sandhagen-Nurmagomedov is the first fight announced for UFC Abu Dhabi, which will mark the first non-pay-per-view event in the United Arab Emirates since 2021.