Umar Nurmagomedov to return from 14-month layoff in March
Undefeated prospect Umar Nurmagomedov is set to return to the UFC after more than one year away.
The No. 13-ranked bantamweight will face newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at the March 2 Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the promotion announced.
Nurmagomedov, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib, hasn't stepped into the cage since January 2023. He was scheduled to face top contender Cory Sandhagen in a main event last August but withdrew from the fight due to an injury. Nurmagomedov, of Dagestan, Russia, is 4-0 in the UFC - with three finishes - and 16-0 as a pro.
Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz tweeted that it was difficult to secure an opponent:
I never seen ufc working hard to find somebody to fight. He’s a lot more harder to get Fight! for then Islam, Kamaru Usman, and Khabib. https://t.co/SxfZoMMTXC
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) February 9, 2024
Almakhan will make his UFC debut after scoring three straight victories last year. The 26-year-old Kazakh fighter is riding a nine-fight winning streak and holds a 17-1 career record.
A heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev will headline the March 2 card.