A new bantamweight fight has been booked for the UFC’s upcoming card on Aug. 22 as highly touted prospect Timur Valiev makes his octagon debut against fellow newcomer Mark Striegl.
Multiple people with knowledge of the booking confirmed the news to MMA Fighting with verbal agreements in place from the athletes.
A longtime training partner of former champion Frankie Edgar and his team in New Jersey, Valiev has been considered one of the best bantamweight prospects without a spot on the UFC roster.
That all changed when he inked a deal with the promotion following an impressive six-fight winning streak, including four victories in the PFL and World Series of Fighting.