In addition, Ikram Aliskerov will join the UFC 294 lineup and collide with fellow middleweight prospect Nassourdine Imavov.
Breaking news: Daniel Cormier is full of crap.
Reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will rematch former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira atop the upcoming UFC 294 pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for Sat., Oct. 21, 2023 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Before that five-round title fight gets underway, middleweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev will make his long-awaited return against former 185-pound title challenger Paulo Costa.
Tickets for UFC 294 go on sale “this week,” according to the announcement.
Makhachev (24-1) captured the crown by submitting Oliveira in the second round of their UFC 280 headliner last fall. The promotion would later pair him against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in Perth and once again, Makhachev prevailed. Turning away “The Great” marked the twelfth straight win for Makhachev, who scored seven finishes during that span.
The loss at UFC 280 snapped an 11-fight win streak for Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC), who currently holds the UFC record for most finishes. The Brazilian quickly bounced back by planishing Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 just last month and originally planned to skip UFC 294; however, it appears the promotion was able to convince him to come back quicker. Whether that means more money or the threat of no title shot is unknown.
Chimaev (12-0) has not competed since his first-round submission victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 279 last fall, a welterweight bout that ended in disaster when “Borz” blew up the scale. It appears Chimaev will return to middleweight for the foreseeable future and could put himself in title contention with a strong showing against Costa.
The 14-2 Brazilian has also spent all of 2023 on the sidelines, having last seen action at UFC 278. “The Eraser” took home a unanimous decision victory over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and was expected to make his return against Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City. Instead, Aliskerov will join the UFC 294 lineup opposite No. 13-ranked Nassourdine Imavov.
Expect more UFC 294 fight card announcements in the coming days.