After his originally scheduled Ultimate Fighting Championship debut was cancelled due to a positive test for COVID-19, Mark Striegl jumped at the chance at a quick turnaround against Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Fight Night 180 this Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. However, unlike Timur Valiev—the man with whom Striegl was paired at UFC on ESPN 15 in August—Nurmagomedov has Octagon experience under his belt.
A flashy three-fight UFC veteran with something to prove, Nurmagomedov has not competed since he dropped a unanimous decision to Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 165 in December.