Undefeated heavyweight Ciryl Gane has his next challenge.
Officials announced Friday that Gane (6-0) will face Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5) at UFC 249, which takes place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 18. The matchup was first reported by RMC Sport.
Gane, 29, has rolled to a 3-0 start to his UFC career with wins over Tanner Boser, Don’tale Mayes, and Raphael Pessoa Nunes. He finished his first five opponents before going to a decision against Boser in December.
Abdurakhimov has gone 5-3 in the UFC since debuting in April 2015. The 38-year-old Dagestani fighter recently saw a three-fight win streak snapped when he was TKO’d by Curtis Blaydes this past August at UFC 242.
UFC 249 will be headlined by a lightweight title bout between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. The main card will air on pay-per-view exclusively through the ESPN+ streaming service.