Magomed Ankalaev will take on Khalil Rountree Jr. in a light heavyweight bout that will headline a UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi on July 25.
The fight will mark Ankalaev's first bout since losing the light heavyweight championship to Alex Pereira at UFC 320 last October. Ankalaev initially captured the belt from Pereira in March 2025 before falling short in his first title defense in the rematch.
Rountree also last competed on the UFC 320 card, suffering a knockout defeat to Jiri Prochazka. He's lost two of his last three fights, with his lone victory being a decision over Jamahal Hill. Rountree was beaten by Pereira at UFC 307 by TKO during that span as well.
A bantamweight fight between Umar Nurmagomedov and David Martinez will serve as the co-main event for the July card. Both fighters have only one loss on their MMA records, with Nurmagomedov at 20-1 and Martinez at 14-1.
Martinez hasn't lost since joining the UFC, while Nurmagomedov's only defeat was a bantamweight title fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 in January 2025.
