Paul Hughes will challenge Usman Nurmagomedov for the Russian’s Bellator lightweight title on 25 January at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Hughes secured the biggest win of his career as he outstruck AJ McKee to win their lightweight bout by split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October.
The Derry fighter, 27, was an underdog going into the fight against McKee, who is a former Bellator featherweight champion.
The Hughes-Nurmagomedov bout, which is called the Champions Series World Title, marks the beginning of a multi-year partnership between the Professional Fighters League (PFL), Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
“It’s great to have a quick turnaround [from the McKee fight] – it’s what I wanted,” Hughes told BBC Sport NI.
“I went to the venue yesterday. It’s a huge arena – it’s unbelievable.
“This [PFL] is the first global MMA organisation to come here, so it’s the first one in the history of Dubai. There’s been small local shows but this is history.
“It’s huge for PFL Bellator and it’s huge for Dubai and certainly a huge thing for me, so the magnitude of this fight is huge.”