UFC 294 has a new main event after Charles Oliveira withdrew due to a cut he sustained over one of his eyebrows during a sparring session earlier this week.
The organization confirmed lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will now defend his title against reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch of their five-round main event at UFC 284 earlier this year.
Makhachev earned a close decision victory over Volkanovski in February and the pair earned a Fight of the Night bonus for one of the best mixed martial arts bouts of 2023.
Volkanovski was moving up from the 145-pound division attempting to become a simultaneous two-weight world champion. Despite suffering his first and only loss in the UFC, Volkanovski’s popularity grew after that performance. He is currently the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC behind Jon Jones, while Makhachev is ranked No. 3 on the P4P list.
UFC 294 takes place Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Volkanovski went back down to his natural weight class following his loss to Makhachev and defended his belt in impressive fashion, defeating Yair Rodriguez by third-round technical knockout at UFC 290 in July.
Makhachev has not fought since his victory over Volkanovski. The 155-pound champ has won 12 fights in a row dating back to 2015. He became champion in October of 2022 when he submitted Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 280. Makhachev had finished five consecutive opponents prior to facing Volkanovski.
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