Announcements
Charles Oliveira Out, Alexander Volkanovski In Against Islam Makhachev At UFC 294
Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski Replaces Injured Charles Oliveira For Lightweight Ttile Rematch Against Islam Makhachev
UFC CEO Dana White announced a change for the main event at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will step in against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev after Charles Oliveira was forced to pull out of their scheduled rematch. The main event between Makhachev and Volkanovski is a rematch of their epic duel from February at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, where Makhachev bested “The Great” via unanimous decision.
The previous bout between Makhachev and Volkanovski was a back-and-forth affair in front of an electric Australian crowd, who were in full voice supporting their fellow countryman at UFC’s first event in Australia since October 2019. Makhachev successfully defended his title, but some believed Volkanovski did enough to earn double-champ status that night. After the fight, the two champions shared pleasantries, and Volkanovski started pining for a rematch – even saying he was keen to fight Makhachev in Abu Dhabi.
A few months later, Volkanovski returned to the featherweight division to defend his 145-pound belt against interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at the end of International Fight Week at UFC 290. Makhachev, on the other hand, has not competed since their initial bout. Headlining UFC’s pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi for a second consecutive year, Makhachev hoped to also repeat his performance at UFC 280 when he submitted Oliveira in the second round to win the lightweight title his mentor and close friend Khabib Nurmagomedov once held.
Post-Fight Press Conference | Dana White's Contender Series Season 7, Week 10
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Post-Fight Press Conference | Dana White's Contender Series Season 7, Week 10
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The disappointment for Oliveira, meanwhile, is understandably high. “Do Bronx” was adamant that he was too caught up in the intensity of the first fight with Makhachev, particularly after Oliveira was forced to vacate the title when he missed weight before knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in Arizona, and thusly underperformed.
Oliveira, never a stranger to bouncing back from adversity, showed he was still one of the best lightweights in the world when he ran through Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, snapping Dariush’s 8-fight win streak.
While one can assume the winner in Abu Dhabi will face Oliveira next, it does get a bit more complicated should Volkanovski win a second belt. That opens the door to a trilogy, a Volkanovski-Oliveira fight or even a situation involving Justin Gaethje, whom many believed earned a title shot with his epic knockout win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 for the BMF title.
All that said, the Abu Dhabi fans are in for a treat with UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 on October 21.
UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 21, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
