Abubakar
Nurmagomedov is set to return to competition after a three-year
absence.
The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight will face David
Zawada in an 84-kilogram (185-pound) wrestling rematch under
the AIGA banner in Istanbul, Turkey. The match is scheduled for ORA
Arena on Sept. 20 as part of the Global Grappling Series 2026.
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Abubakar Nurmagomedov faces former UFC opponent David Zawada in
Istanbul
They previously met in the Octagon in November 2019 at
UFC Moscow, where Zawada submitted Nurmagomedov via first-round
triangle choke.
Nurmagomedov went 2-2 during his UFC tenure. His most recent MMA
appearance came back in June 2023, when he dropped a split decision
to Elizeu
Zaleski dos Santos.
Zawada, meanwhile, will look to repeat the result of their first
meeting. The German veteran went 1-4 in the UFC, with his lone
victory in the promotion coming against the Dagestani in Russia.
He’s also competed in Oktagon
MMA, the
Professional Fighters League and
KSW.
Zawada’s last MMA bout went down on Aug. 1, when he lost to
David
Kozma under the Oktagon banner.