Khabib's cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov will return to the Octagon on July 17
According to Spanish MMA outlet Entre Rounds, Abubakar Nurmagomedov will fight Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 191, which will take place on July 17.
The cousin of UFC great Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abubakar is 16-3-1 in his professional MMA career. His last fight was against Jared Gooden at UFC 260, a bout which Nurmagomedov won in dominant fashion.
During the fight, Nurmagomedov displayed his crisp striking technique despite possessing a superior ground game to his opponent. He won the bout via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the contest 30-37.
Khabib will most likely be present in Abubakar Nurmagomedov's corner for his fight against Rodriguez. The duo used to train together at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) when 'The Eagle' was still an active fighter.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez will step foot inside the Octagon for the first time since his showdown with Mike Perry at UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland. 'D-Rod' got the better of Perry in a three-round fight, which saw the latter sustain a nasty cut and a broken nose.
Rodriguez's professional MMA record stands at 14-2. He made his UFC debut against Tim Means in February of 2020, where he secured a submission victory in the second round.
The 34-year-old amassed a 3-0 UFC record before Nicolas Dalby stopped his undefeated run at UFC 255.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov will want to break into the welterweight rankings
Abubakar Nurmagomedov is currently unranked in the UFC welterweight division. Although a win over Daniel Rodriguez might not necessarily guarantee him a place in the divisional rankings, it will most certainly draw him closer to the 15th position.
The Dagestani will want to forget his promotional debut loss and carry forward the momentum that he established after beating Jared Gooden in March.
Unlike his cousin, Abubakar Nurmagomedov is often driven by emotion during his fights. The 31-year-old once admitted that he is not averse to engaging in all-out brawls and is always looking for a finish.
"I'm a little different from Khabib. He has more of a thinking style. I'm someone who likes to exchange and do brawling. Khabib takes a position and tries to advance it. I expect to finish. He gets on me sometimes because I'm not using the same safe kind of style as him," Nurmagomedov told Bleacher Report.
This time around, the Dagestani could possibly look to use poise and precision to outpoint a formidable opponent in Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 191.