Islam Makhachev will once again defend his UFC lightweight championship against featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski in a hastily arranged rematch that will serve as main event of UFC 294 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Makhachev was originally booked in a different rematch -- against former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira -- but Oliveira pulled out 11 days before fight night after suffering a bad cut in training. The UFC scrambled to put together Makhachev-Volkanovski 2, which pits the No. 1 and No. 2 fighters in the ESPN men's MMA pound-for-pound rankings.
The main card at Etihad Arena will be on ESPN+ pay-per-view starting at 2 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ at 10 a.m.
Makhachev (24-1) has won 12 fights in a row, most recently a unanimous decision over Volkanovski in February. Makhachev, who won the title from Oliveira last October via submission, is ESPN's pound-for-pound No. 2.
The top-ranked Volkanovski (26-2) bounced back from the loss to Makhachev by successfully defending his 145-pound belt against Yair Rodriguez, winning the July bout by third-round TKO.
As if that weren't enough last-minute change, the co-main event also shifted from Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa to Chimaev vs. -- you ready for this? -- former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. Costa was pulled from the bout because of an arm injury.
What are the storylines behind the revamped UFC 294? How are experts breaking down the top fights? What do the fighters have to say? Here is the fight card, how to watch it and a collection of all of the UFC 294 essentials.
UFC 294 fight card
ESPN+ PPV, 2 p.m. ET
Lightweight: Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Middleweight: Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Light heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
Middleweight: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Men's bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov
ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET
Men's flyweight: Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek
Men's bantamweight: Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry
Middleweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas
Lightweight: Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli
Men's featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov
Strawweight: Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey
Middleweight: Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva
(c) = defending champion
How to watch the fights
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
Watch the prelims on ESPN+. Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
Purchased the fight on your phone and want to stream on your TV? Find out how here.
There's also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
In just 48 hours, UFC 294's card went from good to great
Maybe every major UFC card should be left blank until a couple of weeks before fight night. Last-minute matchmaking sure has worked wonders for UFC 294.
Last Wednesday, 11 days before the first punch was to be thrown, both the main event and co-main evaporated into thin air. Never fear, fight fans. UFC matchmakers went right to work with their patch-up-the-holes kit. And within hours, they had pieced together an even mightier 1-2 punch for the top of the UFC 294 marquee.
Makhachev will move from one rematch to another, this time with a far more competitive two-to-tango partner, Alexander Volkanovski. The last fight ended with the featherweight champ on top of a knocked-down, tuckered-out Makhachev, dropping punches as the horn sounded to end Round 5 of their lightweight superfight at UFC 284 in February. Moments later, Makhachev was the one getting his hand raised as the winner of a unanimous decision to retain his title. But Volkanovski had been so impressive that he, not Makhachev, sits on top of the ESPN men's pound-for-pound rankings. Can't wait to see Round 6 and beyond from No. 1 and No. 2.
This weekend's co-main event experienced an even grander upgrade, as it now features a fighter who spent a considerable time in that No. 1 pound-for-pound slot. Kamaru Usman, the former longtime welterweight champ, stepped in to offer Chimaev what looks like the stiffest test of his undefeated career. And Chimaev vehemently accepted the challenge. Much respect to both of them for agreeing to a last-minute matchup against an unknown, in a clash that seems sure to redirect at least one of their careers abruptly.
UFC 294 expert picks and best bets: Can Volkanovski and Usman win on short notice?
How Makhachev wins: The same way he won in the first fight -- grab a hold of Volkanovski and keep him down. Although Makhachev didn't do much with it in the last fight, the positional control time allowed him to win rounds. In the first fight, I think Makhachev underestimated Volkanovski's strength and power. Makhachev had a big size advantage, but Volkanovski showed he can handle the move up to a bigger weight class with ease.
Makhachev-Volkanovski 2: UFC 294 has a new main event with just days to spare. Now what?
When one rematch falls, another one rises.
Alexander Volkanovski will step in for Charles Oliveira to face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound title at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Oliveira, who fought Makhachev and lost at UFC 280 last year, was severely cut above his eye during training and was forced to pull out of the main event rematch on Oct. 21.
Now, on just 11 days' notice, Volkanovski will get in on the rematch action and attempt to take down Makhachev and become a two-division champion. Volkanovski lost in a five-round thriller to Makhachev at UFC 284 in February 2023.
Oliveira out, Volkanovski in to face Makhachev
UFC's next pay-per-view main event fell apart Tuesday, only for the promotion to put together arguably an even bigger one.
Former champion Charles Oliveira is injured and out of the lightweight title main event at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UFC president Dana White confirmed Tuesday night.
In Oliveira's place, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will step in to fight lightweight champ Islam Makhachev on 11 days' notice.
With Costa out, Usman steps in to face Chimaev
UFC 294 has another major change -- with another high-profile replacement stepping in.
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will now fight Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of the card Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, UFC president Dana White announced Wednesday on social media. Chimaev was supposed to face Paulo Costa, but Costa had elbow surgery three weeks ago and was not cleared.
ESPN has Usman ranked No. 2 in the world at welterweight with Chimaev at No. 4. This bout will take place at middleweight, where it was originally scheduled when Costa was the opponent.
Last time: Makhachev outlasts Volkanovski to retain title
The path to the UFC lightweight title has gone through Dagestan for some time. And now so does the road to the No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking, once again.
In a classic back-and-forth battle, Islam Makhachev pulled out a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) over Alexander Volkanovski to retain the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 284 on Saturday in Perth, Australia.
'I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best': Khabib's words prove prophetic in UFC 280 master class
By becoming UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev fulfilled a prophecy.
Maybe it was really just a lifelong friend expressing faith and brotherhood, but when Khabib Nurmagomedov briefly interrupted a Makhachev news conference four years ago, it felt like something far more consequential. Let's call it a coronation-in-waiting.
Nurmagomedov was still the champion then, having just defended his 155-pound belt that night at UFC 242 with a dominant finish of Dustin Poirier. Makhachev had competed earlier that evening in Abu Dhabi and also had put on a thrashing performance. Another thrashing performance. And after beating up Davi Ramos to run his record to 18-1, Makhachev was sitting at the postfight dais explaining to reporters how he'd gotten it done.
Until Nurmagomedov entered the scene. The champ was carrying his UFC belt, and he placed it on the table in front of Makhachev, then walked off after speaking just two words.
"Future champ."