Khabilov-dos Anjos off UFC 170; dos Anjos meets Nurmagomedov at UFC on FOX 11
A lightweight bout between Rafael dos Anjos (20-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) and Rustam Khabilov (17-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has been scrapped from UFC 170 later this month.
But dos Anjos didn’t need long to get his new assignment. He has been shifted to UFC on FOX 11 in April, where he now will meet Khabib Nurmagomedov (21-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC). UFC officials announced the changes overnight.
UFC 170 takes place Feb. 22 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. The dos Anjos-Khabilov bout was slated for the main card, which now dips to four fights. The event earlier this week also lost a fight when Francisco Rivera pulled out of a fight with Raphael Assuncao with a broken hand. No replacement for Rivera has been announced.
UFC on FOX 11 is set for April 19 at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. It will be the UFC’s first visit to the city, and first visit to the state in nearly two years. That main card will air on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The new booking for Orlando will be between a pair of highly regarded members of the 155-pound division. Nurmagomedov is ranked No. 9, while dos Anjos is No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings.
The Brazilian dos Anjos looks for his sixth straight victory following wins over the likes of Mark Bocek, Evan Dunham and Donald Cerrone. Moving into title contention, dos Anjos, whose past four victories have come via decision, is still looking for a signature career victory against one of the division’s elite competitors.
Nurmagomedov will be looking to remain unbeaten, both for his career and in the UFC. His 2013 was perfect with a first-round knockout of Thiago Tavares in Brazil, a decision win over Abel Trujillo in Las Vegas and a decision over Pat Healy in Toronto this past September. At one point, Nurmagomedov was attached to a fight with Gilbert Melendez at UFC 170 after the UFC displayed an early version of the event’s poster at UFC 168 showing the matchup. But the bout never was official and never materialized.
Khabilov, a former M-1 champion who trains with the likes of American Kickboxing Academy and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn when in the U.S., has won six straight fights and was looking to extend his streak to seven. That included a UFC-debut win over Vinc Pichel (via suplex), Yancy Medeiros (who suffered a dislocated thumb) and Jorge Masvidal (in a “Fight of the Night†performance).
With the dos Anjos-Khabilov cancelation, the UFC 170 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann – for women’s bantamweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Rashad Evans
Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
Raphael Assuncao vs. TBA
Lucas Martins vs. Aljamain Sterling
Mike Pyle vs. T.J. Waldburger
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo
Erik Koch vs. Rafaello Oliveira
