Aliaskhab Khizriev will finally make his octagon debut on Aug. 28 against Italy’s Alessio Di Chirico at UFC Vegas 36, multiple people with knowledge of the booking told MMA Fighting.
The promotion has yet to officially announce the headlining attraction for the Fight Night show at Las Vegas’ UFC APEX.
Khizriev (13-0) inked a deal with the UFC after submitting Henrique Shiguemoto in under a minute on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2020, but had a pair of UFC bouts with Wellington Turman and Kyle Daukaus cancelled in the first half of 2021.
A former Fight Nights Global welterweight champion, Khizriev will compete as a middleweight in the UFC.
Di Chirico (13-5), a UFC fighter since 2016, snapped a three-fight losing skid earlier this year by knocking out Joaquin Buckley in the opening round in Abu Dhabi and pocketing an extra $50,000 check for a “Performance of the Night” bonus. His overall UFC record currently stands at 4-5.