NEW YORK • Khabib Nurmagomedov will take on Justin Gaethje for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) undisputed lightweight crown on Oct 24, the mixed martial arts promotion's chief Dana White said.

The 31-year-old Nurmagomedov (28-0) unified the lightweight title with a third-round submission win over interim champion Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi last September but has not fought since the coronavirus outbreak.

The Dagestan native's father and coach Abdulmanap died earlier this month at age 57 owing to complications after contracting the virus.

"It's been very rough on him... his father was a hero to him, he loved his father, they had a very close relationship and it was very hard on him," White told CNN.

"That fight is going to happen. Khabib v Gaethje, Oct 24."

The UFC had been staging bouts on its "Fight Island" located in Abu Dhabi during the virus outbreak but White did not disclose the location of the Nurmagomedov-Gaethje fight.

The 31-year-old Gaethje (22-2) scored a surprise knockout win over fellow American Tony Ferguson in May to claim the interim lightweight title at UFC 249. Ferguson, 36, had been slated to fight Nurmagomedov but the bout was cancelled because of travel restrictions during the pandemic.

REUTERS