Rizin Fighting Federation announced on Thursday that Shtyrkov, unbeaten in 17 professional bouts with 16 wins and one draw, has inked a deal with the Japanese company to face Kim Hoon (10-12-2) at the Rizin 17 show in Tokyo, Japan, on July 28.
The Russian prospect was signed with the UFC and scheduled to make his debut in April, facing Devin Clark in St. Petersburg. However, hours before the event, Clark announced that his opponent was “sick” and hospitalized, therefore he couldn’t make it to the Octagon.
Months later, as Shtyrkov signs with Rizin, his team revealed that an “abnormal” drug test result kept him away from UFC St.