Nate Diaz’s protege finally has a date for his UFC debut.
Last week the UFC announced via press release that Nick Maximov will make his UFC debut against fellow Dana White Contender Series alumni Karl Roberson at UFC 266 on September 26.
Nick and Nate Diaz’s training partner, Maximov (6-0) had his chance at a UFC contract on season four of Dana White’s Contender Series. He fought up two weight classes at 265 lbs against a legit heavyweight in Oscar Cota. Maximov would win a dominant unanimous decision, but White offered him a spot on The Ultimate Fighter instead of a contract. His spot on the show would fall through, and he would eventually get the call to the UFC. Maximov would tell James Lynch that he was supposed to fight Cody Brundage on season five of Dana White’s Contender Series but took the Roberson fight instead.
Roberson (9-4) could be fighting for his job in September. “BabyK” had his two-fight win streak snapped against Marvin Vettori last June in his only 2020 fight, and then he would be submitted earlier this year again at UFC 261 against Brendan Allen. He fights another submission ace in Maximov.
UFC 266 is set to take place on September 4, 2021, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is expected to headline the card.
So far, UFC 266 looks like this.
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – for the UFC featherweight title
- Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy – for the UFC flyweight title
- Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Marlon Moraes
- Jessica Andrade vs. Cynthia Calvillo
- Manon Fiorot vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
- Uros Medic vs. Jalin Turner
- Sarah Alpar vs. Erin Blanchfield
- Nick Maximov vs. Karl Roberson
- Timur Valiev vs. Ricky Simón
- Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Chris Daukaus
