It's been a tough couple of years for Khabib Nurmagomedov but the Dagestani looks to be back in the hot seat ahead of his fight with Tony Ferguson at UFC on Fox 19.
The UFC have yet to confirm the bout but Nurmagomedov assured fans he will face "El Cucuy" in a five-round lightweight title eliminator on Instagram earlier today.
"It's gonna be 5round war. April 16 #UFConFOX19 #MainEvent winner gets everything, let's go..." the caption reads
The 27-year-old was originally expected to face Ferguson in December but was forced to pull out of the bout after suffering an injury. Nurmagomedov has been crippled by injuries since beating current 155 lbs. champion Rafael dos Anjos in 2014. The undefeated fighter (22-0 MMA 6-0 UFC) is now fully healed and drew inspiration from a battle-worn Dominick Cruz after reclaiming the bantamweight title at UFC Fight Night 81.
Despite his two-year hiatus, Nurmagomedov has maintained his position as the #2 ranked lightweight in the world and will look to catapult into a title fight with a win over Ferguson at UFC on Fox 19 on April 16th.