Khabib Nurmagomedov Opens As Betting Favorite Over Justin Gaethje In UFC Title Fight

Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight again. That fight, opposite Justin Gaethje, will take place on October 24.

UFC president Dana White announced the matchup between the lightweight champion and the interim lightweight titleholder on CNN on Tuesday.

“That fight’s going to happen: Khabib vs. Gaethje, October 24,” said White.

There had been some questions about Nurmagomedov’s future. Nurmagomedov, who last defended the 155-pound title in September with a third-round submission win over Dustin Poirier, lost his father earlier this month due to COVID-19 related issues. Nurmagomedov was very close to his father, who had served as his coach for most of Nurmagomedov’s life.

“It’s been very rough on him,” White said. “His father was a hero to him. He loved his father. They had a very, very close relationship, and it was very hard on him.”

Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who trains with Nurmagomedov at American Kickboxing Academy in California, said earlier this month he did not know if Nurmagomedov would return to fighting.

Gaethje, the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champ, won the interim UFC lightweight title in May with a fifth-round TKO win over Any Ferguson.

White did not announce a location for the lightweight title unification bout.

The odds favor the undefeated Nurmagomedov. He opened as a -350 favorite over Gaethje, who opened as a +285 underdog.