Umar Dzambekov knows Sonny McEwen well. They used to be sparring partners.

Dzambekov returns on April 19 as the co-feature against McEwen at the Commerce Casino, in California in an eight-round light heavyweight bout. The card is headlined by junior middleweight Sadriddin Akhmedov facing Elias Espadas in a 10-round main event and will stream on UFC Fight Pass. 360 Promotions is promoting the card.

Dzambekov, 10-0 (7 KOs), fought twice in 2024, winning both fights by knockout. He is a 27-year-old southpaw and is from Austria. He has trained in Los Angeles with Marvin Somodio since 2023, who began working with him after his third professional fight.

This fight is a step-up on paper for Dzambekov as well as a fight against someone he knows well, both in and out of the ring.

Somodio recalled a speech he gave his fighter after hearing McEwen accept the fight.

“It is different, they respect each other,” Somodio told BoxingScene. “The thing is we all have a dream, I told Umar ‘What can we do? It is our job, and it is their opportunity also.’”

Somodio continued that Dzambekov had no objections to the fight.

“Whatever you say, coach,” Somodio recalled Dzambekov saying after the speech. “No problem.”

McEwen, a 34-year-old from Hawthorne, California, suffered a major setback in his last bout. He suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Hollaway, a veteran opponent with a record of 9-7-3 (7 KOs) at the time of this writing. McEwen, 11-1 (7 KOs), fought once in 2024. The knockout loss happened at the same venue that he will be fighting at.

“I know this fight going to be competitive because they know each other,” Somodio said. “We will see who is going to adjust better on fight night.”