Tag: UFC 294

Ali Abdelaziz shuts down future title fight for Charles Oliveira after UFC 294 exit: ‘He missed his opportunity’

Ali Abdelaziz tells Charles Oliveira he won't fight for title again after UFC 294 missed your opportunityProminent mixed martial arts manager and representative will have his client, Islam Makhachev fight another client of his in the form of BMF championship holder, Justin Gaethje next if he gets his own way – claiming ex-titleholder, Charles Oliveira has “missed his opportunity”, after he withdrew from UFC 294 next weekend through injury. Slated to […]

Ali Abdelaziz tells Charles Oliveira he won't fight for title again after UFC 294 missed your opportunity

Prominent mixed martial arts manager and representative will have his client, Islam Makhachev fight another client of his in the form of BMF championship holder, Justin Gaethje next if he gets his own way – claiming ex-titleholder, Charles Oliveira has “missed his opportunity”, after he withdrew from UFC 294 next weekend through injury.

Slated to headline UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE next weekend, former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira was forced from his championship rematch with the incumbent, Makhachev, after suffering a laceration on his eyebrow in the final round of sparring before jetting out to the Middle East. 

Remaining in the main event of UFC 294 at the Etihad Arena, Makhachev will take on reigning featherweight champion and pound-for-pound number one, Alexander Volkanovski on just 10 days’ notice, in a rematch of their February champion versus champion showdown in Perth, Australia.

Charles Oliveira told to forget about a future rematch with Islam Makhachev

And sharing his thoughts on Oliveira’s withdrawal from a title rematch with Makhachev due to injury, the above-mentioned, Abdelaziz claimed both his clients, Makhachev and Gaethje should vie for the championship next.

“This is Frankie Edgar 8 days before he fought Jose Aldo,” Ali Abdelaziz posted on his official X account, accompanied by pictures of Frankie Edgar dealing with lacerations. “Charles (Oliveira) missed his opportunity, Justin Gaethje is next for the title.” 

Earning his route back to a title rematch with Makhachev back in June, Oliveira turned in a dominant first round ground strikes TKO win over Kings MMA staple, Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, rebounding to the winner’s enclosure in a first career win in Canada to boot.

Previously clashing with American Kickboxing Academy staple, Makhachev back in October of last year in the main event of UFC 280, former champion, Oliveira saw his record-setting 12-fight winning run halted after dropping a second round arm-triangle submission loss. 

Would you like to see Charles Oliveira fight Islam Makhachev again?

Alexander Volkanovski says all the pressure is on Makhachev at UFC 294: ‘You better do something about it’

VolkanovskiAlexander Volkanovski says all the pressure is on Islam Makhachev come UFC 294. In a blockbuster announcement made by UFC CEO Dana White earlier this week, Volkanovski will step into the main event slot on October 21 after Makhachev’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, was forced to withdraw after sustaining a nasty gash over his right […]

Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski says all the pressure is on Islam Makhachev come UFC 294.

In a blockbuster announcement made by UFC CEO Dana White earlier this week, Volkanovski will step into the main event slot on October 21 after Makhachev’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, was forced to withdraw after sustaining a nasty gash over his right eye during a sparring session.

With 11 days’ notice, ‘The Great’ will look to live up to his moniker as he once again meets the reigning lightweight world champion in a rematch that fans have been clamoring to see ever since their Fight of the Year contender at UFC 284 in February.

“We were told about Charles pulling out and needing a backup,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “They hit me up yesterday, we said, obviously, alright, let’s do it. Obviously, did the negotiations, they did that, I just said, ‘Yeah. Make sure it’s worth it (laughs),’ and let’s do it.

“This is obviously a pretty crazy thing to do. There’s not many fighters out there who probably would do this, especially in my position, but I always say that I will do these things, I am that guy that will do any time, anywhere, any weight, whatever it is. This is just an opportunity to prove that once again” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Alexander Volkanovski is Ready to Shock the World at UFC 294

Volkanovski and Makhachev have remained adamant that their paths would cross again after their incredibly close encounter in The Land Down Under, but nobody expected it to happen so soon.

“I didn’t want to wait and now I don’t have to wait at all,” Volkanovski said. “It’s pretty crazy but I think it’s all meant to be. This just adds to the story. Even that close fight we had, this just adds to the story. Me going over there to Abu Dhabi, him with a full camp, all of this stuff.”

Despite going into a fight without a full camp against the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Alexander Volkanovski is feeling as confident as ever and believes all the pressure will be on his opponent come fight night.

“I get to shock the world. I can’t wait to go out there and do it,” he added. “That fight made me a better fighter anyway. Honestly, my training after that and my takedown defense, all that, my scrambling ability, the way I understand the ground. I’ve always had that but I learned so much from that fight and I carried that through in obviously my last camp and after.

“Let’s go out and finish this guy,” he concluded. “No pressure on me, baby. No pressure at all. All the pressure’s on him. I’m coming off the couch. You better do something about it.”

Dana White confirms Kamaru Usman – Khamzat Chimaev fight winner at UFC 294 will face Sean Strickland for belt

Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev winner set to fight Sean Strickland for title after UFC 294UFC CEO, Dana White has confirmed the victor of next weekend’s middleweight co-headliner between former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, and the undefeated, Khamzat Chimaev, will go on to fight incumbent middleweight titleholder, Sean Strickland for the division’s undisputed crown. Earlier tonight, promotional boss, White confirmed that a scheduled middleweight fight between Chimaev and one-time title […]

Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev winner set to fight Sean Strickland for title after UFC 294

UFC CEO, Dana White has confirmed the victor of next weekend’s middleweight co-headliner between former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, and the undefeated, Khamzat Chimaev, will go on to fight incumbent middleweight titleholder, Sean Strickland for the division’s undisputed crown.

Earlier tonight, promotional boss, White confirmed that a scheduled middleweight fight between Chimaev and one-time title challenger, Paulo Costa had fallen to the wayside, after the Brazilian required a third surgical procedure to address a bursitis infection in his elbow.

And as a result, the organization have since booked a middleweight bout – subsequently an official title eliminator between Chimaev and former pound-for-pound number one and prior welterweight kingpin, Usman for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE next weekend. 

Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev will fight in a title eliminator at UFC 294

Speaking with Yahoo! Sports reporter, Kevin Iole, the above-mentioned UFC leader, White confirmed how the victor between Usman and Chimaev will fight incumbent middleweight champion, Strickland for the division’s belt. 

“Who knows how they’ll (Kamaru Usman or Khamzat Chimaev) approach it, but you have to think that with the (Paulo) Costa fight, Khamzat probably had to be thinking about going out and taking him down,” Dana White explained. “But with Usman and his wrestling, it could actually turn into more of a stand-up war.”

“This is what fighting should be,” White said. “I don’t know if you saw what Khabib (Nurmagomedov) said. He said, ‘Brother, we are UFC champions, you fight King Kong if he makes weight.’ That’s what makes fighting so fun. They’re all taking these fights just over a week out and they’re all accepting risk. They believe in themselves. And to my way of thinking, this is what makes sport so great, when you have world champions or guys who are top five in the world and that’s their mindset. When that’s the case, there’s no better sport in the world. That’s what makes the UFC so great, the mentality of these fighters.”

For Strickland, the recently minted undisputed middleweight champion headlined UFC 293 back in September against two-time champion, Israel Adesanya, winning the divisional crown with a stunning upset decision win.

Sharing the Octagon with Auchi native, Usman back in 2017 during his welterweight stint, Strickland dropped a one-sided unanimous decision loss at UFC 210 in a preliminary card clash. 

Who faces Sean Strickland after UFC 294: Kamaru Usman or Khamzat Chimaev?

Breaking – Paulo Costa out, Khamzat Chimaev now fights Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in short notice clash

Khamzat Chimaev now set to fight Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 with Paulo Costa out injuryWith the confirmation of one-time middleweight title challenger, Paulo Costa’s withdrawal from his UFC 294 co-headliner with Khamzat Chimaev next weekend, the latter will still remain on the card in a co-main event capacity – now taking on former undisputed welterweight champion and former pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman on just 10 day’s notice.  Appearing […]

Khamzat Chimaev now set to fight Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 with Paulo Costa out injury

With the confirmation of one-time middleweight title challenger, Paulo Costa’s withdrawal from his UFC 294 co-headliner with Khamzat Chimaev next weekend, the latter will still remain on the card in a co-main event capacity – now taking on former undisputed welterweight champion and former pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman on just 10 day’s notice. 

Appearing live on his official Instagram account, UFC CEO, Dana White confirmed the new slated pairing between the surging, Chimaev, and former undisputed welterweight titleholder, Kamaru Usman – with the pair set to compete in a co-main event clash in a middleweight clash.

Dana White confirms Kamaru Usman’s short notice fight with Khamzat Chimaev

“ARE YOU SH*TTIN’ ME?!” Dana White posted on his official X account tonight.” 

Sidelined from the Octagon since he headlined UFC 286 back in March in London, former undisputed welterweight champion, Usman most recently suffered back-to-back title fight losses to the incumbent welterweight titleholder, Leon Edwards in a rematch and subsequent rubber match.

Initially searching for and offering himself as a fight opponent for the undefeated Chimaev, Usman suggested a catchweight clash between the duo, ultimately to no avail. However, with the withdrawal of Costa due a recent surgical procedure to address a bursitis infection in his elbow, the Auchi native will get his wish in the form of a middleweight bout with the Chechen.

Boasting an impressive 12-0 professional record, Chimaev, the current number four ranked welterweight contender, has been sidelined since he co-headlined UFC 279 back in September of last year, submitting Kevin Holland with a first round D’Arce choke submission win.

Next weekend’s UFC 294 headliner also witnessed a massive reshuffle overnight to boot, with undisputed lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev seeing a planned rematch with ex-titleholder, Charles Oliveira fall to the wayside.

Dealing with a nasty laceration above his eyebrow, Oliveira has now been replaced by undisputed featherweight gold holder and pound-for-pound kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski who faces Makhachev in a title rematch next weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Who wins at UFC 294: Khamzat Chimaev or Kamaru Usman?

Paulo Costa insists he’s ‘Not pulling out’ of UFC 294 fight with Khamzat Chimaev despite recent reports

Paulo CostaDespite multiple reports that he is out of UFC 294, Paulo Costa is refusing to pull out of his co-main event clash with Khamzat Chimaev. Over the last 24 hours, the promotion’s next big pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi on October 21 has seen some major changes. First, Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw from […]

Paulo Costa

Despite multiple reports that he is out of UFC 294, Paulo Costa is refusing to pull out of his co-main event clash with Khamzat Chimaev.

Over the last 24 hours, the promotion’s next big pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi on October 21 has seen some major changes. First, Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw from his headlining rematch with Islam Makhachev after suffering a nasty cut above his right eye during a sparring session.

Fortunately, the UFC was able to quickly secure a replacement opponent in reigning featherweight world champion Alexander Volkanovski.

However, shortly after Oliveira’s withdrawal, it was revealed that the highly anticipated bout between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev was in danger. Earlier this week, ‘The Eraser’ revealed that he had undergone surgery three weeks ago to clear up a nasty case of bursitis in his elbow. Despite this, Costa remained insistent that he would be ready to go for UFC 294. That no longer appears to be the case.

But as rumors begin to swirl that Costa is out, the one-time UFC title challenger remains insistent that he will not be pulling out of the fight.

“Im not pulling out this fight anyway, let me fight the f*ck gourmet Chen Chen,” Costa wrote on X. “IAM here in ABUDHABI ALready n prepared mtfks!”

Paulo Costa Rumored to Be Replaced by Some Big Names

Of course, that doesn’t mean Costa is still going to step inside the Octagon come October 21. Though he’s clearly game, the UFC and/or the local athletic commission probably won’t be too keen on him competing less than a month after undergoing surgery.

As of this writing, there is no official word on who could potentially replace Costa, but recent reports suggest that Marvin Vettori was offered the spot and turned it out. Other rumors suggest that Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze, or even former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman could step in and save to co-main event.

If ‘The Eraser’ is in fact out of UFC 294, who would you like to see step up and square off with ‘Borz’ in the co-main event?

Khabib Nurmagomedov addresses UFC 294 title fight fallout: ‘If King Kong can make 155, bring this guy here’

Khabib Nurmagomedov addresses UFC 294 title fight fallout if King Kong can make 155 bring this guySet to feature in the camp of teammate Islam Makhachev ahead of UFC 294, former lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to be taking things business as usual, despite the withdrawal of Charles Oliveira, and the short notice entry of Alexander Volkanovski atop the card. Nurmagomedov, a former undisputed lightweight champion and recent Hall of Fame […]

Khabib Nurmagomedov addresses UFC 294 title fight fallout if King Kong can make 155 bring this guy

Set to feature in the camp of teammate Islam Makhachev ahead of UFC 294, former lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to be taking things business as usual, despite the withdrawal of Charles Oliveira, and the short notice entry of Alexander Volkanovski atop the card.

Nurmagomedov, a former undisputed lightweight champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee, will return to the training camp of close friend and training partner, Makhachev for the remainder of his preparations ahead of UFC 294 next weekend. 

Hoping to prepare his compatriot for a title fight rematch against Oliveira, a certain spanner was thrown into the works for the Abu Dhabi card overnight, with Makhachev now facing featherweight champion and pound-for-pound kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski on short notice, after the Brazilian suffered a cut in training, requiring medical attention and ruling him from his own championship rematch.

Khabib Nurmagomedov backs Islam Makhachev to beat all comers at UFC 294

Addressing the short-notice switch around just 10 days out from Makhachev’s return, Nurmagomedov claims a host of lightweight contenders – and even King Kong could stand opposite Makhachev, and the outcome would land in favor of the incumbent champion.

“Okay, this is the situation, brother,” Khabib Nurmagomedov told Anatomy of a Fighter. “Islam (Makhachev) is a world champion, right now. If somebody can make 155 (pounds), and the UFC say this guy is a contender, who cares? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who. If King Kong can make 155 (pounds), okay, bring this guy here. It doesn’t matter.”

“I told Ali (Abdelaziz), and I know Islam (Makhachev) today, ‘Brother, it doesn’t matter, you’re the world champion,’” Khabib Nurmagomedov explained. “Volk (Alexander Volkanovski), Charles (Oliveira), (Dustin) Poirier, Justin (Gaethje), it doesn’t matter, brother. Like, it’s supposed to be Charles okay, he pull out. But we already beat him. And we don’t care about this. If they [the UFC] want Volk again – first fight it was very good, very competitive fight, but we know, and they’re team know we win a unanimous decision. It was not even split decision, it was unanimous decision. Yes, Volk was looking good on that fight, but he lose. …”

Do you agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s assessment of UFC 294?