Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi will face Ultimate Fighter 29 winner Ricky Turcios in bantamweight action this July.
UFC officials announced Monday that Zahabi (8-2) and “Pretty Ricky” Turcious (11-2) will face off at a Fight Night event on July 9, 2022. For Zahabi, it will mark his return to action after over a year on the sidelines.
The Quebec-based fighter last competed in February of 2021, snapping a two-fight skid when he knocked out Drako Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 19. That punishing performance earned Zahabi a Performance of the Night bonus, the first of his UFC career.
Having improved to 2-2 inside the octagon with the win, Zahabi, whose brother Firas is head coach at legendary Montreal gym TriStar, will look to move past .500 in the promotion.
Turcios won big on last year’s TUF 29, winning both his exhibition fights during the filming of the show. That took him to the finale, where Turcios edged out Brady Hiestand in a split decision to win the bantamweight tournament.
Prior to his time on TUF, Turcios had appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series, and fought under the Fury FC and Bellator MMA banners, among others.
The UFC’s July 9, 2022 Fight Night event does not yet have a venue, location, or broadcast plan officially announced. The following bouts have been reported for the card, which is expected to be headlined by lightweights Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev:
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
- Caio Borralho vs. Armen Petrosyan
- Ronnie Lawrence vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov
- Nina Nunes vs. Cynthia Calvillo
- Tresean Gore vs. Cody Brundage
- Antonina Shevchenko vs. Cortney Casey
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
- Jamie Pickett vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
- Rani Yahya vs. Cody Garbrandt
- Maryna Moroz vs. Sijara Eubanks
- Austin Lingo vs. David Onama
- Aiemann Zahabi vs. Ricky Turcios
