Over the space of 24 hours, UFC 294 has experienced an all-time shakeup, with both the main and co-main events receiving unbelievable new matchups following two unfortunate training injuries.
During Dana White’s Contender Series yesterday, word began to spread that Charles Oliveira had been forced out of the UFC 294 main event, with UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski stepping in on less than two weeks notice to face UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. Dana White and the UFC subsequently confirmed this.
Find all the results from UFC 294: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2 here.
In his post-DWCS presser, Dana also suggested that the scheduled Middleweight co-main event between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev was up in the air. Days earlier, Costa had taken to social media to show off a terrible-looking elbow infection that had required surgery only weeks before the scheduled bout. The UFC has now confirmed that the fight is off, with another all-time great stepping into the bout.
On less than two weeks’ notice, former UFC Middleweight Champion Kamaru Usman takes the fight against undefeated phenom Khamzat Chimaev. Built in the same vein as Volkanovski, Usman takes a fight that many others would not, in circumstances that a Champion or former Champion would not even consider, up a weight class on short notice against a guy who has seemed unbeatable.
Can Alexander Volkanoski Pull Off Heist Of The Century?: UFC 294 Main Event Preview
Coming off back-to-back Championship losses to UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards, Usman moves up a weight class looking to potentially win a title in a second weight class. Chimaev has faced little resistance in his career thus far, with his only fight to have gone the distance being the fight of the year contender against Gilbert Burns last year.
As often is the case, the UFC have rewarded both men for taking the short-notice matchup, with Dana White telling Kevin Iole that the winner will be next for Sean Strickland’s UFC Middleweight Championship.
Read our breakdown of the five prospects to look out for on the UFC 294 prelims here.