UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to defend his belt against Justin Gaethje on Oct. 24, the promotion announced Tuesday.
Nurmagomedov has been mourning the death of his father, Abdulmanap, who passed away earlier this month due to complications from the coronavirus. Abdulmanap also served as Nurmagomedov's coach for the majority of his fighting career. "The Eagle" was initially expected to face Gaethje in September before the tragedy.
White had said in recent weeks that he was giving Nurmagomedov time and space to mourn his father's death and that there was no pressure for the titleholder to return to the Octagon until he felt ready to do so.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a third-round submission win over Dustin Poirier last September. The Russian, currently ranked No. 2 on the UFC's pound-for-pound list, has defended his belt twice since capturing it in April 2018. He is undefeated in the sport at 28-0.
Gaethje beat Tony Ferguson via fifth-round TKO in the UFC 249 main event in May to win the interim lightweight title. The 31-year-old has won four straight fights, including a first-round knockout of former title challenger Donald Cerrone.
A location for the Oct. 24 event has not yet been announced.
