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

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.