UFC 242 has added two of the premier Russian fighters in the lightweight division, with Islam Makhachev taking on Davi Ramos, and Mairbek Taisumov battling Carlos Diego Ferreira.
The promotion announced both additions to UFC 242 on Twitter.
Islam Makhachev and Mairbek Taisumov both have a reputation as fearsome fighters in the lightweight division. They’ll both be taking on talented Brazilians in Davi Ramos and Carlos Diego Ferreira respectively.
Islam Makhachev still can’t get a ranked opponent despite continuously great performances in the Octagon that have earned him a 14th ranking in the stacked lightweight division. The Russian is on a five-fight win streak with a pair of first-round stoppages and is a training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov. He recently defeated the debuting Arman Tsarukyan in April.
Davi Ramos is an incredible grappler with an ADCC world title to his name. After losing to fellow expert jiu-jitsu practitioner Sergio Moraes in his Octagon debut in 2017, Ramos secured three straight rear-naked chokes and a win over the debuting Austin Hubbard last month. He will be the best grappler Makhachev has faced to date.
Mairbek Taisumov is fantastic inside the cage, but has had multiple issues outside the Octagon. Repeated visa issues have forced the dynamic Russian out of multiple fights, he’s missed weight for one of his victories, and was recently handed a six-month suspension by USADA. Taisumov is on a six-fight win streak with five stoppages that dates back to 2014.
Carlos Diego Ferreira was supposed to fight at UFC 237 last month, but pulled out on weigh-in day due to a weight-cutting issue. The Brazilian started his UFC career at 2-2 before rattling off four-straight wins, with victories over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Rustam Khabilov. He was, however, suspended by USADA and missed 2017.
UFC 242 will take place inside The Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on September 7. The card is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and interim titleholder Dustin Poirier.
