Mamed Khalidov Ends Retirement, Meets Scott Askham in Catchweight Bout at KSW 52

Mamed Khalidov’s retirement has proven to be short lived.

Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki announced on Saturday that Khalidov will return to face middleweight champion Scott Askham in a catchweight contest at KSW 52. The card will take place on Dec. 7 in Gliwice, Poland. Khalidov addressed the decision in a brief interview during the KSW 50 broadcast.

All the decisions I’ve made in my life were sincere, they were from my heart,” Khalidov said through a translator. “I sometimes make mistakes…This time, I listened to my fans. This is my place and this is where I’m gonna prove what I’m worth. This is my natural habitat.

“I’ve got a fantastic opponent, a young champion. For me, it’s a new challenge. I don’t want an average fight. I want to prove myself.”

Khalidov compiled a 34-6-2 mark while capturing middleweight and light heavyweight championships under the KSW banner. The 39-year-old announced his retirement following a unanimous decision loss in a rematch with Tomasz Narkun at KSW 46 last December.

Askham has flourished since a 2-4 stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 31-year-old Englishman is currently on a three-fight finishing streak in KSW, including a third-round flying knee KO of Michal Materla in May to claim the promotion’s vacant 185-pound belt.