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Umar Nurmagomedov is aiming to make a strong return in his upcoming fight at UFC 321, promising to put on an impressive performance.Nurmagomedov is set to face No. 9-ranked bantamweight contender Mario Bautista on the main card of UFC 321 this Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Earlier this year, the Dagestani challenged reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili for the 135-pound crown, suffering a unanimous decision defeat. Both fighters impressed the audience with their resilience. However, Dvalishvili prevailed, handing Nurmagomedov his first professional defeat.In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Nurmagomedov vowed to make a strong comeback:''I think the fans have to watch this fight because two high-level strikers will show who’s better, and they’re gonna see how Nurmagomedov’s comeback.''Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below:As for Bautista (16-2), the 32-year-old has yet to suffer defeat since 2021, when he lost to Trevin Jones at UFC 259, suffering a second-round knockout. Since then, the American has amassed an eight-fight win streak, the most recent being a unanimous decision victory over former Bellator star Patchy Mix at UFC 316.Mario Bautista aims for a title shot by defeating Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 321Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista will square off at UFC 321. In a recent appearance on Just Scrap Radio, the American spoke to host Cole Shelton and offered his thoughts on facing Nurmagomedov in a potential title eliminator bout:''I was definitely hoping so. I’ve made a few callouts on this win streak that I didn’t get. But it got to the point that you couldn’t really deny me anything. Everyone was also booked up, so Umar was the only one who made sense. It was also going to be the quickest way to the top...Definitely, I was worried about it. I’ve heard a commission from here runs everything there. But it’s the crowd that you have to worry about. I’m not too worried about it, though. I’m looking to fight the best I can and win over these fans. If it goes the distance, I want it to be convincing, no ifs, ands, or buts about who won. I’m going out there to win, I’m going out there to finish, and that’s all I can do.'' [1:34 of the interview]Bautista will try to become the next contender for the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili, who is scheduled to defend his crown against Petr Yan at UFC 323 on Dec. 6.
