Lightweight contenders Pat Healy and Khabib Nurmagomedov have verbally agreed to face off at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, according to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting.
Russian MMA media outlet Valetudo.ru initially reported the news and Helwani subsequently confirmed the matchup with “sources close to the event.”
Healy put the UFC’s lightweight division on notice when he choked out highly regarded grappler Jim Miller in his Octagon debut at UFC 159 in April.
Unfortunately for “Bam Bam,” he tested positive for marijuana after the event, and the win was overturned to a no-contest.
Healy served a 90-day suspension and missed out on $130,000 in bonus money, as the victory initially earned him both “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors, via Mookie Alexander of Bloody Elbow.
Despite the mishap, Healy remains a serious threat at 155 pounds, boasting a seven-fight unbeaten streak and is currently ranked as the No. 9 best lightweight in the world in the UFC’s official ratings.
He faces a serious test in “The Eagle,” who is a perfect 20-0 in his professional MMA career, including four straight wins under the UFC banner.
Known for having a plethora of highlight-reel worthy takedowns, the Russian fighter was recently campaigning for a fight with BJ Penn. He also said he’d settle for a bout with TJ Grant, according to Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. However, those matchups aren’t in the cards right now.
UFC 165 takes place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown title fight between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.
It is not immediately clear where Healy vs. Nurmagomedov will take place on the fight card, but odds are the key lightweight showdown would find a spot on the main card.
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
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