Sadykhov vs Nascimento lightweight clash booked for UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden

Nazim Sadykhov and Jefferson Nascimento are set to collide in a lightweight bout at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with Sadykhov revealing the booking via Instagram before any official UFC announcement.

The matchup pits two fighters who last shared a card at UFC Baku and are each looking to bounce back from defeats marred by officiating controversy.

Nascimento (13-1) arrived in Azerbaijan in June as a highly touted undefeated prospect making his UFC debut, but was booed for a passive performance across the first two rounds against fellow debutant Tahir Abdullayev. Abdullayev hurt him late in the third, and referee Jim Perdios waved off the contest in a stoppage widely criticised as premature. The former LFA lightweight champion had entered that fight at welterweight; he now drops back to 155 pounds in search of his first Octagon win.

Sadykhov (11-3-1) faced an equally contentious night at the same event. A -250 favourite fighting in front of a home crowd in Baku, he was knocked out in the first round by Matheus Camilo — a finish referee Rich Mitchell also drew scrutiny for stopping quickly. The loss extended Sadykhov’s losing run to two, following a defeat to Fares Ziam last December, and left his UFC record at 4-2-1.

With both men carrying momentum questions and grievances over how their last bouts ended, the November card at MSG gives each a meaningful opportunity to reset. UFC 334 is still taking shape, and the promotion has yet to formally confirm the pairing.