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Fight Coverage
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2
We're Back In Abu Dhabi For Another Epic Event! Let's Break It Down.
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the complexion of UFC 294 changed completely, even though a championship rematch remains stationed atop the card.
Originally scheduled to feature Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira facing off for the second consecutive year with the UFC lightweight title hanging in the balance, a cut forced the Brazilian from the contest, opening the door for featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski to step up on short notice and face off with Makhachev for the second time.
Less than a day later, the co-main event pairing between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa was transformed, as well, with Costa being removed as a result of recent elbow surgery and replaced by former welterweight ruler Kamaru Usman.
The events at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi are always electric, and the winds of change sweeping over this card have raised the anticipation for UFC 294 to a whole other level.
This one is going to be special; I can feel it.
Main Event: Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski
The UFC 294 main event still features a highly anticipated rematch for the UFC lightweight title, but now it will be Islam Makhachev defending his title against Alexander Volkanovski for a second consecutive fight.
Makhachev claimed the title with a second-round submission win over Charles Oliveira last October in Abu Dhabi, running through the Brazilian in alarmingly swift and dominant fashion. Following the bout, he called out Volkanovski, agreeing to face the Australian on his home turf in Perth in February.
The two engaged in arguably the best fight of the year at UFC 284, with Makhachev retaining his title in an ultra-competitive fight where the lightweight champ was forced to hang on for dear life down the stretch as the indefatigable featherweight boss refused to slow down.
While Makhachev has been biding his time, waiting for his next challenger to emerge since emerging victorious in February, the 35-year-old Volkanovski returned to featherweight and put on an absolute clinic against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July to further cement his standing as the best fighter in the division and quite possibly the best fighter on the planet.
This was a fascinating matchup the first time around and it’s even more compelling now, as Volkanovski has shown an incredible ability to make adjustments during and between fights, while Makhachev is now fully aware of what he’s going to be dealing with on October 20 when they meet for a second time.
Volkanovski’s willingness to take a fight of this magnitude, with this much at stake, on less than two weeks’ notice speaks to his incredible focus, work ethic, and self-belief, but the lightweight champion also deserves a ton of praise for welcoming a rematch with the talented featherweight kingpin under challenging circumstances, as well.
Both men are true fighting champions, and just as their first meeting was a thrilling way to wrap UFC 284 earlier this year, the rematch is sure to do the same at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Other Main Card Fights
Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev
Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman steps up a division and steps in on short notice, replacing Paulo Costa in a tantalizing clash with undefeated standout Khamzat Chimaev in next Saturday’s co-main event.
After winning his first 15 consecutive appearances inside the Octagon, Usman ventures to Abu Dhabi and the middleweight ranks on a two-fight slide, having lost consecutive contests to current champ Leon Edwards. He’s talked about moving up in weight and his desire to face Chimaev many times in the past, so it will be interesting to see if he was preparing for an opportunity like this to potentially present itself and what he brings to the table in the 185-pound weight class.
Chimaev has been the unbeaten boogeyman lingering in the background of both the welterweight and middleweight title pictures since truly establishing himself as a contender with a win over Gilbert Burns last year. A perfect 12-0 as a professional with five of his six UFC victories coming by way of stoppage, the 29-year-old now faces the most experienced, high-level opponent of his career, with the added wrinkle of doing so on short notice.
As if the fascination with this matchup and how it plays out wasn’t enough, UFC CEO Dana White announced on Thursday that the winner will be next in line to challenge for the middleweight title, as well, upping the ante on this blockbuster pairing even more.
Can Usman swoop in and punch his ticket to an immediate middleweight title shot or will Chimaev keep rolling and finally land the championship opportunity many have been waiting for him to garner for the last couple years?
Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker
A month before a new light heavyweight champion is crowned, Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will face off in Abu Dhabi to potentially determine the No. 1 contender in the 205-pound weight class.
The 31-year-old Ankalaev returns for the first time since battling Jan Blachowicz to a split draw last December at UFC 282 when the two men faced off for the vacant title. The well-rounded Russian standout had won nine straight prior to that contest, and will look to keep himself on the short list of possible title challengers by getting back into the win column as he makes his third pay-per-view appearance in the United Arab Emirates.
Walker hit the UFC like he was shot out of a cannon five years ago, rattling off three straight sudden first-round stoppage wins to begin his career. After enduring a rugged stretch that yielded just a single victory in five appearances, the towering Brazilian has responded with three straight wins, most recently showing poise and patience while beating Anthony Smith on the scorecards in May.
Part of what makes this matchup so interesting (at least to me) is that Walker continues to improve and transform his style with each appearance, yet still feels like the type of aggressive, attacking fighter that could force Ankalaev to open up more. There are times when the Russian contender can be too patient and look to be too precise, but as he showed against Blachowicz (and several others), he’s a menace when he puts you on the canvas, which is one of the places Walker has struggled in the past.
With Jamahal Hill sidelined for the next several months, and Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira set to face off for the vacant title next month at Madison Square Garden, the winner of this one would have an outstanding case for a championship opportunity in the first half of 2024, especially if that victory comes in impressive fashion.
Ikram Aliskerov vs Warlley Alves
Ikram Aliskerov makes his second appearance inside the UFC Octagon, facing off with Brazilian veteran Warlley Alves in another UFC 294 matchup that has shifted from its original construction.
Aliskerov, who graduated from Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) in 2022, was initially scheduled to face Nassourdine Imavov here in the follow-up to his debut knockout win over Phil Hawes. The 30-year-old divisional dark horse is 14-1 overall and enters on a six-fight winning streak that includes five finishes.
The 32-year-old Alves competes at middleweight for the first time since winning the TUF Brazil 3 tournament in 2014. He enjoyed flashes of success during his 13-fight welterweight run, including handing Colby Covington the first loss of his career and scoring a first-round knockout win at Etihad Arena in January 2021, but simply could not find consistent enough success to vault himself into the rankings.
Aliskerov stood out as one of last year’s DWCS grads that could make an immediate impact if given the opportunity, and his win over Hawes and subsequent bookings show that the UFC sees him as a possible future contender. The fight with Imavov would have been a sound test against a ranked opponent, but now he gets the opportunity to show that he can deal with some pre-fight adversity by handling this shift smoothly, while Alves gets an all-upside change to make an immediate impact in the middleweight division.
Said Nurmagomedov vs Muin Gafurov
The UFC 294 main card kicks off in the ultra-competitive bantamweight division, with Said Nurmagomedov facing off against Muin Gafurov.
Nurmagomedov has spent the past couple years hovering on the fringes of the Top 15 in the 135-pound weight class, breaking into the rankings after registering a fourth straight win at the end of last year, only to fall back out following his loss to Jonathan Martinez in March. Sporting a 6-2 record in the UFC and 17-3 mark overall, the 31-year-old remains a dangerous threat for anyone looking to scale the divisional ranks and someone that could certainly make another push towards the Top 10 with a couple quality wins.
Gafurov landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict in his 2021 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, but rebounded with a pair of wins under the LFA banner to remain on the UFC radar. He acquitted himself well in a short-notice loss to John Castaneda back in June and looks to earn his first victory inside the Octagon by taking out Nurmagomedov here.
A matchup like this truly exemplifies just how deep and talented the bantamweight division is at the moment, as fighters with Nurmagomedov and Gafurov’s records and skill would likely be ranked in the majority of the other weight classes in the UFC. Instead, they’re on the outside looking in, battling one another in the opening bout of next weekend’s pay-per-view, in hopes of landing a date with a ranked opponent next time out.
Preliminary Card Fights
Tim Elliott vs Muhammad Mokaev
The preliminary card wraps in the flyweight division with an electric grudge match between Tim Elliott and Muhammad Mokaev.
Elliott is the elder statesman of the division, and arrives at UFC 294 in the best form of his UFC career, having won two straight and four of his last five. While Mokaev’s dream of breaking Jon Jones’ record as the youngest UFC champion seems unlikely at this point, the 23-year-old remains unbeaten and one of the top rising stars in the sport, having registered a second consecutive submission win while collecting his third straight UFC victory in March.
Everyone who has ambitions of climbing the flyweight ranks seems to target Elliott, and to his credit, the awkward veteran always seems game to engage. This has the potential to be a scramble-filled free-for-all between a pair of ranked talents looking to continue making headway in the deep and competitive 125-pound weight class.
Mohammad Yahya vs Trevor Peek
Newcomer Mohmmad Yahya faces off with Alabama wild man Trevor Peek in this preliminary card fight in the lightweight division.
Brandishing a 12-3 record overall and riding a five-fight winning streak, Yahya has made his last eight appearances under the UAE Warriors banner, posting a 7-1 record with six finishes during that stretch. A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Peek scored a first-round stoppage win over Erick Gonzalez in his promotional debut in February before landing on the wrong side of the cards in a chaotic back-and-forth affair against Chepe Mariscal in June.
Javid Basharat vs Victor Henry
Javid Basharat and Victor Henry face off in another standout bantamweight pairing on the UFC 294 fight card.
Unbeaten in 14 professional outings, including his first three trips into the Octagon, Basharat looks to keep things rolling as he takes a step up in competition following his January win over Mateus Mendonca. Henry took a circuitous route to the UFC, but the 36-year-old has shown he belongs with wins over Raoni Barcelos and Tony Gravely and a hard-fought loss to Raphael Assuncao through his first three appearances.
This should be a competitive, technical battle between two more outstanding fighters in the 135-pound weight class. Basharat has yet to have a truly standout performance in the UFC but has looked crisp and clean through his first three starts, while Henry can be counted on to bring a fast pace and strong conditioning to this pairing, setting the stage for a match that could set the Fight of the Night standard heading towards the main card in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Azaitar vs Sedriques Dumas
Originally scheduled to meet in March, Abu Azaitar and Sedriques Dumas will finally share the Octagon together at Etihad Arena on October 20.
Fighting for the first time in well over two years, the 37-year-old Azaitar looks to rebound from a third-round stoppage loss to Marc-Andre Barriault in his last outing, which snapped a 10-fight unbeaten streak. After dropping his promotional debut in March, Dumas showed tremendous improvements while registering his first UFC victory in June by thoroughly outworking Cody Brundage in Jacksonville.
Mike Breeden vs Anshul Jubli
Veteran Mike Breeden takes another crack at securing his first UFC victory as he faces India’s Anshul Jubli.
The 34-year-old Breeden has struggled through his first three UFC appearances, suffering first-round stoppage losses against Alexander Hernandez and Terrance McKinney on either side of a unanimous decision defeat to Natan Levy. Unbeaten in seven pro fights, the 28-year-old Jubli punched his ticket to the UFC by winning the Road to UFC lightweight competition with a second-round finish of Jeka Saragih in February.
Breeden has a clear experience advantage and greater familiarity when it comes to competing inside the Octagon, but Jubli looked sharp against Saragih and will certainly be focused on making another serious impression in his official debut in Abu Dhabi.
Nathaniel Wood vs Muhammad Naimov
Nathaniel Wood and Muhammad Naimov meet in a featherweight fixture.
Wood has earned a trio of victories since ending a nearly two-year absence and moving to the 145-pound weight class. Last time out, “The Prospect” picked up a unanimous decision win over Andre Fili in London. Naimov got a short-notice call to make his UFC debut in June and made the absolute most of it, registering a second-round knockout win over Jamie Mullarkey up a division, while picking up a Performance of the Night bonus.
Wood has looked sharp through his three starts at 145 pounds, while it’s impossible to overlook how impressive Naimov was in jumping in against a surging lightweight and putting him away earlier this year. It’s difficult to crack the Top 15 in the featherweight division, but the winner of this one could very well face someone with a number next to their name next if they don’t become one of those select few themselves.
Viktoriia Dudakova vs Jinh Yu Frey
Undefeated Russian Vicktoriia Dudakova returns for her second UFC appearance, stepping in with former Invicta FC champ Jinh Yu Frey in Abu Dhabi.
Dudakova earned her spot on the roster with a unanimous decision win over Maria Silva last fall on the Contender Series, then registered a first-round stoppage win in her debut after Istela Nunes suffered an elbow injury just 34 seconds into their fight in July. The 38-year-old Frey has dropped three straight heading into this one, most recently dropping a decision to Elise Reed in June, but has a significant edge in experience here.
It’s difficult to get a good read on an athlete in just 34 seconds, especially when their fight ends with an injury, so this will be a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the unbeaten 24-year-old as she steps in with a battle-tested, physically strong veteran early in the UFC 294 fight card.
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Bruno Silva
The UFC 294 festivities begin in the middleweight division, as newcomer Sharabutdin Magomedov makes his promotional debut against Brazilian veteran Bruno Silva.
Unbeaten in 11 fights, “Shara Bullet” has garnered a ton of attention for his impressive collection of stoppage wins up to this point in his career, which have primarily come against relative unknowns on the regional circuit. Silva has gone 4-3 through his first seven UFC starts, arriving in Abu Dhabi off a first-round stoppage loss to ascending contender Brendan Allen in June.
This will be the first big test of Magomedov’s career, and all eyes will be on the undefeated newcomer to see if he can replicate his success now that he’s competing at the highest level in the sport.
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