“I’m so happy that I have a date and I have a goal,” MMAnews quoted the Russian as saying. “I’m the best young fighter in our division, and Benil has over twenty fights in the UFC and a lot of experience. So it’s a young wolf against an old wolf. We’ll see who wins.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. I’ve called out top-five guys many times and all to no avail. Finally I have the opportunity to fight a top-five opponent and I deserve it. I’m going to show on December 2nd that I can be in the top five and be a champion.”
Earlier, UFC head honcho Dana White officially announced the top lightweight bout, which will headline the UFC Fight Night Series event in Austin on Dec. 2.