Watch UFC 294 Countdown video for a deep dive into the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The occasion is headlined by a light-weight title rematch between champ Islam Makhachev and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
Volkanovski, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter within the MMA Combating International Rankings, steps up on 11 days’ discover to rematch Makhachev, who’s No. 2 on the pound-for-pound listing.
Makhachev initially was set to face ex-champ Charles Oliveira on Saturday at Etihad Area, however a deep reduce to Oliveira dominated him out of the battle, prompting the UFC to scramble for a alternative. Volkanovski, who most not too long ago unified the featherweight title at UFC 290, answered the decision to take the rematch he’d coveted since shedding a unanimous choice to Makhachev of their first assembly at UFC 284 in February.
The co-main occasion of Saturday’s battle card options one other short-notice reserving, this one within the middleweight division. Former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman steps up on quick discover to make his 185-pound debut alongside Khamzat Chimaev, who was set to face Paulo Costa earlier than the Brazilian withdrew attributable to a extreme staph an infection.
Take a look at the complete UFC 294 Countdown video above.
