Dustin Poirier gets warm welcome in Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 242 showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov in unification Lightweight title match at The Arena on September 7

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13:  (L-R) UFC President Dana White places the interim lightweight championship belt on Dustin Poirier after defeating Max Holloway in their interim lightweight championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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Dustin Poirier has arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of his Lightweight Championship title unification match with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The two men will fight in the main event at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi at The Arena on September 7.

Nurmagomedov, the Lightweight champion, has not competed since October 2018 after serving a nine-month ban for his role in the post-match fight following his victory over Conor McGregor.

Since then Poirier was crowned Interim Lightweight champion after beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April.

Nurmagomedov has been training in the UAE since earlier this month but Poirier arrived on Friday, and he was given a warm record at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which you can see in the attached social media post on Twitter.

UFC 242 marks the promotion's return to the UAE capital for the first time since 2014, and is the first event in a five-year partnership signed earlier this year with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

It brings to a close the inaugural Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which runs September 1-7.