UFC 294 went from being an average-looking MMA competition to one that quickly was at risk of falling apart, to then one of the most highly anticipated UFC events in a long time. Alexander Volkanovski is set to take on Islam Makhachev in one of the biggest rematches in UFC history. Co-main eventing with them will be Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman, a rising star and one of the sport's greatest legends, respectively. There will be plenty more action, and this article will explain everything that you need to know before the fights.
When and where is UFC 294?
The massive UFC event will be at one of the biggest venues for the company: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The fights are on Saturday, Oct. 21. Prelims will start at 10 a.m. ET and the main card is set for 2 p.m. ET.
How to watch UFC 294
The prelims can be viewed on ESPN+. The main card is a pay-per-view that will be accessible exclusively on ESPN+.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 | Time: Prelims: 10 a.m. ET – Main card: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Etihad Arena — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
How to watch: PPV on ESPN+
Odds: Islam Makhachev -280 over Alexander Volkanovski, Khamzat Chimaev -320 over Kamaru Usman
UFC 294 fight card
Main card:
Lightweight: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, title bout (main event)
Middleweight: Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev (co-main event)
Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves
Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov
Prelims:
Flyweight: Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek
Bantamweight: Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry
Middleweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas
Lightweight: Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov
Women's Strawweight: Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey
Middleweight: Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva
Main event
Islam Makhachev was originally expected to defend his lightweight title against Charles Oliveira. The challenger got hurt while sparring and was forced to pull out of the match. It was devastating news for the UFC as the fight was a highly anticipated rematch. Instead, it opened up the opportunity for an event bigger rematch. Now, Makhachev will be facing Alexander Volkanovski, the man he barely beat in his last fight at UFC 284.
Volkanovski stepped up to the plate with only 11 days notice. The featherweight champion will have a chance to become the fifth-ever champ-champ. Some feel that he won the first match against Makhachev, but regardless, it was a legendary fight. Taking such a massive fight on short notice will not be easy, but reports are that Volkanovski is in great shape.
The two fighter's styles will surely make for another entertaining fight. Makhachev is another fighter out of Dagestan that thrives with his ground game, but he wasn't able to get Volkanovski to the ground as much as his previous opponents. Still, Makhachev is 24-1 in his career and has won 12 straight fights in the UFC. He is one of the best grapplers ever, and his stand-up game is underrated. A win would likely make him the second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the company, a position that is currently occupied by Volkanovski.
On the other hand, Volkanovski is a premier striker. He packs serious power with his punches, and he had never lost in the UFC prior to losing to Makhachev. A featherweight by trade, Volkanovski proved the move up to lightweight is not a big issue. Still, the odds are stacked against “The Great.” Taking a fight on short notice against a belt holder in another weight class is not an easy task, so it is impressive that Volkanovski was even willing to take the fight. No one is counting him out though. Volkanovski is one of the best fighters in the UFC, and a win would catapult him into legend status.
In the last go around, Volkanovski had 164 strikes to Makhachev's 95. However, Makhachev had 7:37 minutes of control and four takedowns. Volkanovski didn't execute a takedown and only controlled for 2:55 minutes of action. The fighters have completely different styles. Volkanovski can knock out Makhachev at any given second, so the lightweight champion will need to be careful. However, if Volkanovski is going to win, he will need to control the fight better, which is not an easy task when going up against Makhachev.
Co-main event
Main event matches are usually expected to be thrillers, but rarely do we get such a great co-main event bout. Khamzat Chimaev came into the UFC as one of the fastest-rising stars in the company, but COVID-19-related problems halted his early accession. Now, he is back in the swing of things and has a chance to take off as one of the biggest stars in the company. Before he can do that, he will need to get past Kamaru Usman. Paulo Costa was Chimaev's original opponent, but like Oliveira, he was forced to pull out at the last second.
This again opened up the door for an even bigger match than originally scheduled. Usman is one of the greatest fighters ever, and Dana White recently labeled him as the best welterweight ever. The two welterweights will fight at middleweight for this short-notice bout.
Both Usman and Chimaev are elite wrestlers. Usman's 97.3% takedown defense is the best ever, and Chimaev has yet to be taken down in his young UFC career. Both fighters love to grapple, so there could be a lot of time spent on the ground. However, both are so elite defensively that it may never get to that point. It is hard to know who would win a stand-up contest.
The winner is expected to get a title shot against Sean Strickland at middleweight, so the experience in this weight class will be massive going forward.
Other fights and storylines
UFC 294 will be a big day for Russian fans. Four Russians will fight on the main card, and another Russian, Viktoriia Dudakova, is fighting in the only female fight of the night.
Magomed Ankalaev is the second-ranked light heavyweight contender. He is facing Johnny Walker from Brazil. Had Charles Oliveira not pulled out, this would have been a big day for Brazil as well. The light heavyweight title is the only vacant title in the UFC because of Jamahal Hill's injury, so whoever wins this fight will give themselves an argument for a future title shot.
Ikram Aliskerov is another Russian fighting on the main card. The number 11 middleweight is taking on Warlley Alves, yet another Brazilian. Also on the main card is Said Nurmagomedov. The 17-3 bantamweight is facing Muin Gafurov.
The main card is staked with exciting fights, but there is even some thrilling action set for the prelims. One such fight is the much-anticipated debut of Shara Magomedov. Another Russian, he is unlike many of his countrymen as he is more of a striker than a grappler. He recently had an eight-second knockout. Magomedov is a name to watch out for. The 11-0 fighter not only has a distinguished look that will set him apart, but he also has a troubling background, one that is sure to make for a good fighter.
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