WSOF 30 fills out preliminary card in Las Vegas, including Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Abubakar Nurmagomedov

The preliminary card for next month’s WSOF 30 event today took shape with the addition of five fights, and at least one more still to come.

Topping the prelims is a welterweight bout between Abubakar Nurmagomedov (11-1-1), the adopted brother of UFC lightweight standout Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Matthew Frincu (7-1). WSOF officials today announced the preliminary card lineup.

WSOF 30 takes place April 2 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The main card airs on NBCSN following prelims on MMAjunkie. In the main event, WSOF dual-division champion David Branch puts his middleweight title on the line against Clifford Starks (13-2), and in the co-headliner, Jon Fitch (27-7-1) faces Joao Zeferino (20-7) for the promotion’s vacant welterweight title.

In addition to the Nurmagomedov-Frincu welterweight tilt, the prelims will include a lightweight fight between Steve Kozola (6-0), who will make his WSOF debut, and Gil Guardado (5-1); a flyweight bout pitting Carlos Garcia (1-1) vs. Jason Pacheco (1-0); Adam Acquaviva (4-2) vs. Andres Ponce (3-2) at bantamweight; and Jeff Roman (1-2-1) vs. Nick Salantri (0-1) at welterweight.

Middleweight Clinton Williams (7-3) also is expected to be in action on the card against an opponent still to be determined.

Abubakar Nurmagomedov, from Dagestan, has won three straight fights and has finishes in nine of his 11 career wins. But both decisions he has on his resume have come under the WSOF banner. His promotional debut was a decision win over Jorge Moreno at WSOF 22 in August 2015. He followed that up with a decision win over Danny Davis Jr. this past December at WSOF 26.

Frincu, from Australia, has won five straight fights and is perfect under the WSOF banner at 2-0. About a year ago, he knocked out Eric Regan with a head kick at WSOF 19. This past September, he, too, picked up a decision win over Davis Jr.

The latest WSOF 30 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (NBCSN, 11 p.m. ET)

• Champ David Branch vs. Clifford Starks – for middleweight title
• Jon Fitch vs. Joao Zeferino – for vacant welterweight title
• Jake Heun vs. Vinny Magalhaes
• Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis Jr.

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 8 p.m. ET)

• Matthew Frincu vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov
• Gil Guardado vs. Steve Kozola
• Carlos Garcia vs. Jason Pacheco
• Adam Aquaviva vs. Andres Ponce
• Jeff Roman vs. Nick Salantri
• Clinton Williams vs. TBA

For more on WSOF 30, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.