With the UFC 294 early (and official) weigh ins already in the books (get full results and video here), the cast and crew of tomorrow’s (Sat., Oct. 21, 2023) “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2” pay-per-view (PPV) mixed martial arts (MMA) event will head to Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the ceremonial weigh ins and corresponding staredowns, streaming LIVE at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT) in the embedded video above. UFC 294 will be headlined by the lightweight title fight rematch between current 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev and reigning featherweight kingpin Alex Volkanovski. In the UFC 294 co-headliner, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman collides with undefeated middleweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev, with the winner moving on to fight for the 185-pound title.
“This whole ‘nothing to lose’ talk is silly,” Volkanovski told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 294 media day. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of pressure on Islam, and I understand that, but I have to take this rematch that I want so bad – this lightweight title, and we talk about legacy. If I were to lose, my legacy takes a big hit. I don’t get another shot at him. I don’t get another shot at the lightweight title. You know what I mean? Like, how much longer do I have? We don’t know these things.
“There’s definitely a lot to lose for me. I think he takes a big hit with a loss to his legacy, losing to someone who’s the featherweight champ, a division below, coming on 12 days’ notice. Again, there’s a lot of pressure on him. No pressure on me. I’m not letting in the pressure, but there’s still a lot to lose for me.”
For much more on this epic championship rematch click here.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 294 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the UFC 294 PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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