Fancy watching a fight between two of the UFC featherweight division’s finest strikers? According to journalist Igor Lazorin of Russian news outlet Tass, such an exhibition could be on the cards.
UFC are looking to book a bout between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez on 29 August.
The event held on that date is expected to take place in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Magomedsharipov and Rodriguez have been booked to fight before. They were initially scheduled to square off at UFC 228 in September, 2018. However, Rodriguez pulled out of the contest with injury.
The Mexican was briefly cut by the UFC for reportedly refusing to fight the well-rounded Dagestan fighter, but that was rescinded after agreeing to said fight for UFC 228 before the MMA gods struck.
Magomedsharipov alluded to the fight earlier this month with an Instagram post.
“It’s time to complete what [was] started 2 years ago,” Magomedsharipov said. “The path for August 29.”
Since then, the Russian’s manager Rivzan Magomedov confirmed that the fight is in the works and will determine the UFC featherweight title’s next contender once Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway is done with at UFC 251.
“They are working on this fight,” Magomedov said. [H/T Sherdog] “They proposed Rodriguez to us because [Max] Holloway and [Alexander] Volkanovski will have a second fight.
“Therefore, we will fight with Yair. It will be a contender fight: Both fighters are on a good winning streak; the winner will fight for the title.”
Magomedov is 6-0 in the UFC, holding an 18-1 overall record. His UFC tenure has seen him defeat the likes of Kyle Bochniak, Brandon Davis, Jeremy Stephens and Calvin Kattar.
Meanwhile, “El Pantera” has posted eight wins from 10 fights in the UFC, with one loss and one deemed a No Contest. Rodirguez has scored victories over names such as Dan Hooker, Andre Fili, B.J. Penn, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Jeremy Stephens.