UFC Newcomers Emil Weber Meek, Jessin Ayari Matched for Sept. 3 Bout in Hamburg

Tristen CritchfieldJun 06, 2016

Two promising European welterweights will make their Octagon debuts opposite one another when the UFC lands in Germany this September.

The promotion on Tuesday announced a matchup between Norway’s Emil Weber Meek and Germany’s Jessin Ayari, set to take place Sept. 3 at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg. The UFC Fight Night card will be headlined by a five-round heavyweight tilt pitting Andrei Arlovski against Josh Barnett. Also announced for the event is a 170-pound bout pitting Nicolas Dalby against Peter Sobotta.

Meek enters his Octagon debut riding a three-fight winning streak. The 27-year-old Norwegian earned the most notable win of his career to date at Venator FC 3 on May 21, when he knocked out UFC and WSOF veteran Rousimar Palhares in just 45 seconds. Meek is 8-2-1 as a professional, with seven of his wins coming via knockout or technical knockout.

Ayari, 24, is a native of Nuremberg, Germany, and has won his last six fights. Most recently, he captured a unanimous decision victory against three-time Octagon veteran Mickael Lebout at an event in Germany on April 16. “Abacus” is 15-3 since beginning his career in 2009 and has finished 11 of his wins inside the distance.

Dalby won his Octagon debut but has since battled Darren Till to a draw and dropped a unanimous verdict against Zak Cummings in his last two promotional appearances. Sobotta, meanwhile, saw a seven-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 193, where he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Kyle Noke.