Chris Wade to face Islam Makhachev at UFC Fight Night 94 in Texas
Islip's Chris Wade celebrates defeating Mehdi Baghdad in their lightweight bout during UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Banknorth Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston. Credit: Getty Images / Maddie Meyer
Chris Wade lost his last fight in the UFC to Rustam Khabilov, a Russian fighter with a strong wrestling base.
Chris Wade next fights in the UFC against Islam Makhachev, a Russian fighter with a strong wrestling base.
Wade, a former New York State wrestling champion at Islip High School, is scheduled to fight Makhachev at UFC Fight Night 94 in Hidalgo, Texas, on Sept. 17. Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson headline the card at State Farm Arena.
That was the first loss in the UFC for Wade (11-2), ending his four-fight win streak in the lightweight division, considered the deepest and toughest weight class in the promotion.
Makhachev (12-1, 1-1 UFC) last fought in October 2015, a first-round TKO loss to Adriano Martins.
Earlier this month, Makhachev had his provisional suspension lifted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, making him free to fight again. Makhachev, 24, had failed a drug test for meldonium and was pulled from a bout the day before he was to fight at UFC on FOX 19 in April.
Meldonium was added to the WADA banned substance list at the beginning of this year, but the agency has since issued several statements on how organizations should handle positive tests.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
