UFC 242 Preview: Champ vs. Champ

The UFC 242 main card begins at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier

Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to keep his unblemished record intact when he faces 155-pound interim titleholder Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 242.

Nurmagomedov (27-0) hasn't competed since his Oct. 2018 submission victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. "The Eagle" has been on the sidelines due primarily to a suspension for his post-fight actions at that event.

The 30-year-old boasts an 11-fight win streak in the Octagon, including victories over former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos and top contender Al Iaquinta. Much of Nurmagomedov's success has come from his wrestling, which helped him set the record for takedowns during a fight (21) against Abel Trujillo in 2013. He's accumulated an average of 5.09 takedowns per 15 minutes in the Octagon.

Poirier (25-5) carries a five-fight unbeaten streak into the title unification bout against the Dagestani champion. The American Top Team product earned the interim lightweight title after defeating featherweight champion Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 236 in April. Poirier is 9-1 with one "no contest" in the 155-pound division since moving up from featherweight in 2015.

Barboza vs. Felder

Staying in the lightweight division, the co-main event features an explosive rematch between Edson Barboza and Paul Felder.

Barboza (20-7) has lost three of his last four fights, most recently suffering a first-round knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Fight Night in Philadelphia in March. But the 33-year-old handed Felder his first professional loss in 2015, defeating "The Irish Dragon" by decision at UFC 238 in Chicago in June.

Felder (16-4) picked up a unanimous decision victory over James Vick at UFC Phoenix in February. The Philadelphia native has gone 6-3 in the UFC and switched training camps to renowned gym Roufusport since losing that first fight to Barboza.

Makhachev vs. Ramos

Another pivotal matchup on this pay-per-view card is Nurmagomedov's teammate Islam Makhachev battling Brazil's Davi Ramos.

Makhachev (17-1) is currently riding a five-fight win streak, including a unanimous decision win over Arman Tsarukyan in April. The 27-year-old is 6-1 in the Octagon, with three of those victories coming by stoppage.

Ramos (10-2), meanwhile, carries four straight victories into this lightweight showdown. The 32-year-old has submitted seven of his 12 career opponents and has only gone the distance once in his last four fights. Expect the winner of this bout to earn a notable opponent in the 155-pound division for his next fight.

UFC 242 takes place Saturday, Sept. 7 at du Arena in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Here's an updated look at the card:

Main Card

• Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Dustin Poirier (ic) - Lightweight title unification
• Edson Barboza vs. Paul Felder
• Islam Makhachev vs. Davi Ramos
• Curtis Blaydes vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov
• Mairbek Taisumov vs. Diego Ferreira

Prelims

• Joanne Calderwood vs. Andrea Lee
• Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Lerone Murphy
• Liana Jojua vs. Sarah Moras
• Teemu Packalen vs. Ottman Azaitar
• Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato
• Nordine Taleb vs. Muslim Salikhov
• Omari Akhmedov vs. Zak Cummings
• Don Madge vs. Fares Ziam