The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi this Saturday for UFC 294. The event takes place at Fight Island. The card features a main event and a co-main event that have been completely revamped.
After Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw from his rematch with Islam Makhachev due to a cut, a replacement fight was created. It is between Volkanovski and Makhachev. This is a bigger fight than the one that was originally scheduled.
It is not to say that the first fight between Makhachev and Oliveira didn’t have fans’ interest. However, it was a dominant performance by Islam, and it ended in a submission. The main event of the event was a highly anticipated match-up between Volk and Roussin.
The main event of the co-main event was changed to a fight between Chechen-born fighter, Khamzat Chimeev, and Brazilian, Paulo Costa. Chimeev was originally scheduled to fight Costa, but he was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Costa revealed that he would have to undergo an operation due to a staph infection in one of his elbows.
The previously announced match-up between Chimaev and Usman was highly anticipated at the time that the former was the champion. It has now been created as a main event at middleweight.
Islam Makhachev Record and bio :
- Nationality: Russia
- Birthday: October 27, 1991
- Height: 178cm
- Reach: 178cm
- Total fights: 25
- Record: 24-1
Alex Volkanovsk Record and bio :
- Nationality: Australia
- Birthday: September 29, 1988
- Size: 168cm
- Reach: 180cm
- Total fights: 28
- Record: 26-2
The UFC 294 fight card
Main card
- Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski (fight for Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title)
- Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev; (Medium weight)
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker; light heavyweight)
- IIkram Aliskerov vs. Warllley Alves; (Medium weight)
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov (Bantamweight)
Preliminary card
- Tim Elliot vs. Muhammad Mokaev (Flyweight)
- Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek (Lightweight)
- Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry (Bantamweight)
- Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
- Mike Breeden vs. Anshu Jubli (Lightweight)
- Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov (Featherweight)
- Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Freyl (strawweight)
- Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva (middleweight)
UFC 294 Fight Info :
- Event: UFC 294 | Main Fight: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski
- Date : Saturday, October 21, 2023
- Time : 6 p.m.: UFC 294 late prelim card , 8 p.m.: UFC 294 main card
- TV : DAZN
- Venue : at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
