UNCASVILLE, Conn. – It’ll be 679 days between Bellator appearances for Andrey Koreshkov when he steps in the cage Friday against Sabah Homasi.

A former welterweight champion for the promotion, Koreshkov (23-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) has faced unexpected delays due to travel issues since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his paperwork has cleared and his visa has been approved. He’ll fight in the co-main event of Bellator 264.

“It’s been a while and I’m very happy to be back in Bellator’s cage,” Koreshkov told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “To be frank with you, I’m very excited and a little bit nervous because it’s an important fight for me and it’s important for me to show myself in the best way possible.”

During his time stuck in his homeland, Koreshkov received clearance from Bellator to compete in a one-off fight for Russian promotion AMC Fight Nights. In February, Koreshkov defeated Adriano Rodrigues via first-round submission.

“Of course it was a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take because I understood that if I lost that fight, it would’ve affected my career in a negative way,” Koreshkov said. “At the same time, I couldn’t wait any longer. I couldn’t just sit on the bench and wait. I needed to get back in the cage and get this feeling of a fight.”

Over the span of his 22 months away from Bellator, a lot has changed. Instead of his multi-time opponent Douglas Lima holding title gold, a new champion has emerged – one Koreshkov has actually befriended.

“Yes, of course, I know Yaroslav Amosov,” Koreshkov said. “I’ve followed his career and watched his fights. We communicate through Instagram. We congratulate each other with the fights. What I can say about him is he’s a very strong fighter. He’s a very strong champion. In his last fight against the former champion, Douglas Lima, he showed the world what kind of level of fighter he is. He’s a guy you cannot underestimate.”

The most important order of business Friday for Koreshkov is getting the win, but he’s hyper-focused on doing it in a way that fans and the promotion won’t be able to ignore.

“I think in order to make some noise and to make an impression, I have to win in a manner that I shouldn’t lose – not just a round – I shouldn’t lose any moment in the fight,” Koreshkov said. “I should completely dominate him. Of course, if I would be able to finish him in a spectacular fashion, if I’m able to knock him out or submit him, I will do that. But at the same time, going back to one of the previous questions, I shouldn’t rush myself because I don’t want to make stupid mistakes in there. I want to dominate him completely. I want to finish him, but I will do it in a smart way.”

Whether he defeats Homasi (15-9 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) or loses to him, one thing is certain. Koreshkov wants to compete on Bellator’s inaugural Russia card on Oct. 23, which is headlined by mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko.

“It’s hard for me to say because we haven’t discussed it yet,” Koreshkov said. “I can tell you right now it’s my dream and I really, really want to fight in Moscow.”

Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.