UFC 294 Brings Makhachev-Oliveira 2, Costa-Chimaev & Imavov-Aliskerov to Abu Dhabi
UFC President Dana White announced several major fights for the upcoming UFC 294 event on October 21st in Abu Dhabi. The card will be headlined by a highly anticipated lightweight title rematch between champion Islam Makhachev and former champion Charles Oliveira.
Makhachev and Oliveira first met last October at UFC 280, also in Abu Dhabi. In that fight, Makhachev used his dominant wrestling and grappling skills to submit Oliveira in the second round and claim the vacant lightweight belt. Since winning the title, Makhachev cemented himself as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC by defending the belt against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 earlier this year. Makhachev defeated Volkanovski in a thrilling five-round battle, becoming the first person under the UFC banner to beat the featherweight champ.
Oliveira rebounded from the disappointing loss to Makhachev by delivering a highlight-reel knockout of Beneil Dariush in the first round at UFC 289. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard is eager to regain the lightweight crown he was forced to vacate prior to the first Makhachev fight due to a botched weight cut. With a new training regime, Oliveira hopes to avoid future weight issues and prove he is still the top lightweight in the UFC.
In the co-main event, two of the most popular and exciting fighters in MMA will finally meet as welterweight strikers Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev collide. This is a matchup fans have long anticipated between Costa's brawling style and Chimaev's relentless wrestling. Both men bring aggressive, fan-friendly styles to the Octagon and will be looking to make a statement after recent layoffs. This fight replaces a previously announced bout between Costa and Nassourdine Imavov.
Additional fights announced by White include Imavov taking on Ikram Aliskerov at middleweight. Imavov will be seeking his first win of 2023 after losing to Sean Strickland and fighting to a no contest against Chris Curtis so far this year. Aliskerov impressed in his lone UFC appearance, knocking out Phil Hawes in the first round.
With the Makhachev-Oliveira title rematch and Costa-Chimaev grudge match, UFC 294 is shaping up to be a can't-miss event that will be one of the biggest UFC events of the year. The card takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Additional fights are expected to be announced soon to round out the stellar lineup.
