Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki announced on Saturday that Khalidov will return to face middleweight champion Scott Askham in a catchweight contest at KSW 52. The card will take place on Dec. 7 in Gliwice, Poland. Khalidov addressed the decision in a brief interview during the KSW 50 broadcast.
All the decisions I’ve made in my life were sincere, they were from my heart,” Khalidov said through a translator. “I sometimes make mistakes…This time, I listened to my fans. This is my place and this is where I’m gonna prove what I’m worth. This is my natural habitat.
“I’ve got a fantastic opponent, a young champion. For me, it’s a new challenge. I don’t want an average fight. I want to prove myself.”
Khalidov compiled a 34-6-2 mark while capturing middleweight and light heavyweight championships under the KSW banner. The 39-year-old announced his retirement following a unanimous decision loss in a rematch with Tomasz Narkun at KSW 46 last December.
Askham has flourished since a 2-4 stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 31-year-old Englishman is currently on a three-fight finishing streak in KSW, including a third-round flying knee KO of Michal Materla in May to claim the promotion’s vacant 185-pound belt.