Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexandr Shabliy to Headline Bellator San Diego on Sept. 7

Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his lightweight crown against Alexandr Shabliy in the main event of Bellator Champions Series San Diego on Sept. 7.

The promotion announced the bout in a release on Tuesday. The event takes place at Pechanga Arena and will air on Max in the United States. It is part of a Bellator itinerary for September that includes events on back-to-back weekends. One week after Bellator San Diego, Johnny Eblen will defend his middleweight belt in a rematch with Fabian Edwards at Bellator Champions Series London.

“September is set to be a huge month for Bellator Champions Series, and we’re continuing to step up our game to deliver incredible cards that we know the MMA community across the globe will love. Both San Diego and London are massive markets for us, and we’re confident we’ll put on a show that the fans in attendance and those watching around the world on Max and Dazn deserve,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “Our world-class roster has allowed us to hold two cards in two weeks, and you’re going to see that as we announce more fights and events, the future is incredibly bright for PFL and Bellator.”

Nurmagomedov was originally slated to face Shabliy at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 14, but he was forced to pull out of the event due to an undisclosed injury. Nurmagomedov is undefeated in 18 professional outings. His last bout, which was initially a unanimous decision win against Brent Primus at Bellator 300, was overturned to a no contest after the Dagestani tested positive for an undisclosed banned substance. Nurmagomedov was not stripped of his belt, however.

Shabliy, meanwhile, is in the midst of an undefeated run that dates back to 2017. Most recently, the undefeated Russian took a five-round verdict over Patricky Freire at Bellator 301 this past November.

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