UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi has just received an upgrade that fight fans could only dream of — counterintuitively after the main and co-main events suffered withdrawals.
Brazilian Charles Oliveira suffered a gory eyebrow injury in sparring that has ruled him out of his headline rematch against Russia’s Islam Makhachev. Middleweight contender Paulo Costa’s recent elbow surgery, meanwhile, has not repaired in time to face crowd favourite Khamzat Chimaev.
Any follower of the UFC will tell you this usually spells disaster for the overall card. However, those lucky enough to bag tickets to the Oct. 21 showdown in Abu Dhabi will be salivating at the prospect of flyweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and former welterweight title-holder Kamaru Usman joining the card.
Aussie Volkanovski will meet Makhachev in a rerun of the closely contested super fight in February 2023. The Russian claimed a unanimous points victory on the night as Alex “The Great” attempted to become a two-weight champion, but the fight was anything but one-sided. Volkanovski pushed Makhachev across five rounds. By comparison, Oliveira melted before Makhachev the last time out and succumbed to a second-round submission.
The verbal sparring has already begun between the pair, with Makhachev taking to social media platform X to say: “Respect for taking this fight on short notice, Alex, but don’t use it as an excuse after the fight.” Volkanovski responded with mind games via his YouTube channel. “All the pressure’s on him. I’m coming off the couch. You better do something about it.”
The second switch on the card is even more intriguing. Costa’s UFC career has been plagued by injuries. This bad luck has been a theme for the No.6 ranked middleweight in the world throughout 2023 — he has been booked and pulled from three fights this year alone.
Rumours of Costa missing out on UFC 294 started to swirl in recent weeks, and on Wednesday, Oct. 11, they were confirmed by UFC president, Dana White. But the disastrous news was quickly followed by the unexpected announcement of the return of Kamaru Usman and left fans in a spin.
Having come up short in a pair of bouts against current welterweight champion Leon Edwards, the “Nigerian Nightmare” is stepping up in weight to meet Chimaev.
A fight between the pair has long been mooted. They have traded barbs and insults on social media for the last few years — each goading the other into meeting inside the octagon with zero success. Nobody could have guessed that the fight would finally happen at such short notice. But even without the fanfare and build-up, Usman vs. Chimaev has the fans pumped. It is not hyperbole to claim it one of the biggest non-title fights of the year.
Chimaev, the Swedish-Russian fighter, has achieved bogeyman status within the UFC. He is the fighter who appears to have his opponents scared and dodging matchups. The top guys in the welterweight and middleweight ranks have yet to step up to the challenge. Only No.5 welterweight Gilbert Burns made it through three rounds with Chimaev and ultimately lost. Chimaev rag-dolled the promising Kevin Holland in a lopsided first-round victory in early 2022 to galvanize his position as a clear and present danger to anyone locked in the cage with him. So, Usman going up in weight class at such short notice was a huge surprise.
Usman has dominated the welterweight division since 2019. He only met his kryptonite in the shape of British fighter Leon Edwards in 2022. But one thing is certain: Usman presents Chimaev with his biggest challenge. Matchups of this calibre are usually saved for title fights, but the fact there is not a strap to put around the winner’s waist at the end makes it even more intriguing.
For Chimaev, it is a chance to show the world why he is one of the greatest in the sport by taking down a living legend and former champion. The true test that fans have long craved is finally about to be standing across from him in the octagon. In Usman’s case, he has already proved what a true warrior he is by coming in on short notice. His Hall of Fame status is all but guaranteed in the future, and if he shatters the bogeyman myth of Chimaev at UFC 294, he will only accelerate this.
White praised the four fighters on “The Pat McAfee Show,” saying: “Everybody involved in the main and co-main events in Abu Dhabi are absolute studs.”
White continued: “The mentality that these guys have is what makes this sport so great and why fans are going crazy.”
It is a win-win for everyone, but none more so than those with tickets for the showcase in the UAE capital on Oct. 21. The upgrade they just received is unheard of.
