# UFC 242
**UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier** was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) on September 7, 2019, at The Arena on [Yas Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/yas-island) in [Abu Dhabi](https://www.edgepedia.org/abu-dhabi), United Arab Emirates. In the main event, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated interim champion Dustin Poirier by third-round rear-naked choke submission to unify the 155-pound titles, extending his professional record to 28-0.[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Saturday, September 7, 2019, The Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) |
| Main event | Champion vs. champion title unification at lightweight: Nurmagomedov (27-0 entering) vs. interim champion Poirier (25-5, 1 NC entering)[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) |
| Result | Nurmagomedov won by rear-naked choke at 2:06 of round three, moving to 28-0[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title) |
| Context for the champion | First fight after a nine-month suspension for the post-fight melee at UFC 229, ending an 11-month layoff[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/UFC-242-PostMortem-Desert-Dominance-161469) |
| Co-main event | Paul Felder def. Edson Barboza by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 27-30), avenging a 2015 loss[4](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-242-results) |
| Attendance | More than 14,000 fans, the first event under the UFC's five-year partnership with Abu Dhabi[5](https://www.ufc.com/30?language_content_entity=en) |
| Broadcast | Main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 2 p.m. ET, prelims on ESPN+ and FX, early prelims on ESPN+[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) |
## Background
The event paired the two men recognized as the division's champions. Nurmagomedov had not fought since October 2018, when he submitted [Conor McGregor](https://www.edgepedia.org/conor-mcgregor) at [UFC 229](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-229) and then leaped over the Octagon fence to attack McGregor's corner, drawing a nine-month suspension.[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) Poirier earned his shot by beating featherweight champion [Max Holloway](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-holloway) in April 2019 for the interim lightweight belt, a win that snapped Holloway's 13-fight winning streak and capped a run through Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis, and Justin Gaethje.[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) • [6](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/9/20856500/making-the-grade-ufc-242-khabib-vs-poirier)
Abu Dhabi hosted the card as the first event under a five-year partnership between the UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi announced that year, and the promotion built The Arena, a bespoke indoor venue on Yas Island, for the show.[5](https://www.ufc.com/30?language_content_entity=en) • [7](https://dct.gov.ae/datafolder/files/2019-annual-reports/Tourism_2019%20Eng_Low_Res.pdf) It was the first time since UFC 112 in 2010 that a UFC title fight was staged in Abu Dhabi.[7](https://dct.gov.ae/datafolder/files/2019-annual-reports/Tourism_2019%20Eng_Low_Res.pdf) • [9](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-make-history-abu-dhabi-ufc-112?language_content_entity=en)
## Main event
Nurmagomedov controlled the fight with his wrestling. After patient opening exchanges he landed a takedown on his first attempt, took Poirier's back, and spent long stretches on the ground threatening with rear-naked chokes and neck cranks while landing ground-and-pound.[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title) Poirier had his best moments in the second round, staggering the champion with a right hand that backed him up, but could not land a flush follow-up before Nurmagomedov brought the fight back to the mat.[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title)
**The finish.** Early in round three Poirier latched onto a guillotine choke off Nurmagomedov's takedown attempt, his clearest path to victory. Nurmagomedov escaped, took top position, slipped his arm under Poirier's chin, and secured the rear-naked choke, prompting the tap at 2:06 of the third round.[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title) • [4](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-242-results) It was Nurmagomedov's second consecutive successful title defense and left him 28-0 as a professional, with the loss ending Poirier's four-fight winning streak.[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/UFC-242-PostMortem-Desert-Dominance-161469) Afterward Nurmagomedov contrasted the occasion with the McGregor fight, saying "MMA, No. 1 thing is respect. MMA is not about trash talking."[1](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title)
## Rest of the card
The co-main event was a lightweight rematch six years in the making. [Paul Felder](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-felder) and [Edson Barboza](https://www.edgepedia.org/edson-barboza), who had first met in 2015, went the full three rounds in a bloody contest that included a Barboza takedown, a Felder armbar attempt, and a clash of heads that opened a cut. Felder won by split decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 27-30, evening the series at one win each.[4](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-242-results) • [6](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/9/20856500/making-the-grade-ufc-242-khabib-vs-poirier)
The main card also included three other lightweight bouts beyond the title fight, among them Edson Barboza vs. Paul Felder, and a heavyweight bout in which fourth-ranked [Curtis Blaydes](https://www.edgepedia.org/curtis-blaydes) faced ninth-ranked [Shamil Abdurakhimov](https://www.edgepedia.org/shamil-abdurakhimov); Blaydes proved a level above his opponent on the scorecards of the Brazilian UFC report of the event.[2](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis) • [8](https://www.ufc.com.br/news/ufc-242-todos-os-resultados) The event also marked Abu Dhabi's first all-female UFC bouts, with flyweight Joanne Wood (fighting as Joanne Calderwood in sources of the period) facing Andrea Lee on the undercard.[7](https://dct.gov.ae/datafolder/files/2019-annual-reports/Tourism_2019%20Eng_Low_Res.pdf)
## Aftermath
With the title unified, attention turned to [Tony Ferguson](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-ferguson), who had won 12 consecutive fights and was declared the No. 1 contender the week of the event. UFC president [Dana White](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-white) said Ferguson was next in line if he accepted the fight, while Nurmagomedov left matchmaking to the promotion.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/UFC-242-PostMortem-Desert-Dominance-161469) The Ferguson bout was booked several times previously and had fallen through each time to injuries or botched weight cuts, and it never materialized after UFC 242 either.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/UFC-242-PostMortem-Desert-Dominance-161469) The Abu Dhabi partnership proved durable: the emirate later hosted the UFC's "Fight Island" events on Yas Island during the COVID-19 pandemic, and UFC 242 remained the first show under that arrangement.[5](https://www.ufc.com/30?language_content_entity=en)
## References
1. [UFC 242 results: Khabib Nurmagomedov chokes out Dustin Poirier to unify lightweight title, MMA Fighting (Damon Martin, September 7, 2019)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/7/20854611/ufc-242-results-khabib-nurmagomedov-chokes-out-dustin-poirier-to-unify-lightweight-title)
2. [UFC 242: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier -- how to watch, plus full analysis, ESPN (September 4, 2019)](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/27536483/ufc-242-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-dustin-poirier-how-watch-plus-full-analysis)
3. [UFC 242 Post-Mortem: Desert Dominance, Sherdog (Keith Shillan, September 9, 2019)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/UFC-242-PostMortem-Desert-Dominance-161469)
4. [UFC 242 Results, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-242-results)
5. [UFC 30th Anniversary, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/30?language_content_entity=en)
6. [Making the Grade: UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier, MMA Fighting (Damon Martin, September 9, 2019)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/9/9/20856500/making-the-grade-ufc-242-khabib-vs-poirier)
7. [Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi 2019 annual report](https://dct.gov.ae/datafolder/files/2019-annual-reports/Tourism_2019%20Eng_Low_Res.pdf)
8. [UFC 242: Todos os resultados, UFC.com Brasil](https://www.ufc.com.br/news/ufc-242-todos-os-resultados)
9. [UFC to make history in Abu Dhabi at UFC 112](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-make-history-abu-dhabi-ufc-112?language_content_entity=en)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › UFC numbered events 101–200*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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