UFC 294 | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Kamaru Usman Plans Wrestling attack on Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294: ‘The knees are fine, they’ll be put to use’

Kamaru Usman plans to wrestle Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 the knees will be put to work Kamaru Usman reacts to rumours of a potential knee injury suffered while doing his open workout with Justin Gaethje. …

Kamaru Usman reacts to rumours of a potential knee injury suffered while doing his open workout with Justin Gaethje.

Social media was in a frenzy when keen onlookers claimed that Usman said that ‘something popped’ during a grappling exchange at the media workout. ‘The Nightmare’ is set to take on Khamzat Chimaev tomorrow night at UFC 294, but at middleweight with the winner in line for a shot at Sean Strickland’s 185lb title.

Usman’s knee issues are long standing and well documented – something which he was rumoured to be having problems with in the trilogy match with Leon Edwards.

Kamaru Usman’s open workout where he was rumoured to have injured his knee

Kamaru Usman reacts to knee injury rumours

Taking to his YouTube channel, Usman strongly denied the rumours and labelled the story initially put out by Bloody Elbow as simply clickbait.

Whoever started it, whoever said they heard a result, how could you have possibly heard what I said when it’s me and Justin on a stage in front of thousands of people in a mall,” Usman said. “Were you next to us when you heard what I was saying? How stupid. Just dumb, and if my knee was hurt, why would I get up and [go on] hitting mitts? (H/T MMA Fighting)

“Oh my God, people believe anything you put on this internet. Anything. Any f****** thing. Whoever that was, stop it. Stop the clickbait, did not say that. Clearly I’m fine. Dummies.”

Usman also promised to put his knees to use against Chimaev – “I’m fine,” Usman said. “That’s how rumors start — somebody posts something, everyone starts jumping on it, and then all of the doctors start jumping on it. The knees are fine, and they’ll be put to use this Saturday.”

Usman took the fight against Chimaev on just over 10 days notice, making up for a last minute Paulo Costa withdrawal.

Do you think that Kamaru Usman’s knees will cause him issues?

Charles Oliveira eyes Conor McGregor clash in return after UFC 294 withdrawal: ‘It’s a fight everyone wants’

Former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has claimed everyone is interested in him fighting former two-division titleholder, Conor McGregor…

Former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has claimed everyone is interested in him fighting former two-division titleholder, Conor McGregor – as he plans a route back to competition following his withdrawal from UFC 294 this weekend.

Oliveira, the current number one ranked lightweight contender and former divisional champion, was slated to return to the Octagon at UFC 294 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE, taking on arch-rvial and incumbent lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev in a title re-run.

However, just 10 day’s out from his scheduled rematch with the Russian, Sao Paulo finishing ace, Oliveira was forced to withdraw from the event’s headliner, after he suffered a sizeable laceration above his right eyebrow ahead of the bout, in the final sparring session of his camp for UFC 294.

Charles Oliveira open to return fight with Conor McGregor

And told he has no chance of fighting Makhachev again by his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, Oliveira, who is still aiming for a rematch with the Russian, or replacement challenger, Alexander Volkanovski, also weighed up a clash with Dublin striking veteran, McGregor in his comeback to the sport.

“It’s not that it doesn’t make sense, I’m a UFC employee,” Charles Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “Whoever they say, we’ll make it happen. But I’m the number one contender, and I beat everybody else below me. The Conor (McGregor) fight is a fight that I’ve been asking for a long time. And I never lied, I was the only one being real about fighting Conor.”

“Charles Oliveira against Conor McGregor, money fight,” Charles Oliveira explained. “It’s a fight that will give us a lot of money. Conor sells, Charles also sells. It’s a fight that everyone wants. The only one we don’t know if [he] wants this fight is Conor because I’ve said it a thousand times, 170 (pounds), 185 (pounds), 155 (pounds), I don’t know, choose the weight. Say where and I’ll be there. Just send the contract and we’ll sign it. That’s the fight. Title fight? I’m waiting. UFC makes the call. I deserve it. I’m waiting right here, next to the people that really love me. I’m waiting for my moment.”

Would you like to see Charles Oliveira fight Conor McGregor in his UFC return?

Alexander Volkanovski makes weight for UFC 294 title fight, drops over 26lbs on just 11 days’ notice

Officially slated to fight for undisputed lightweight gold this weekend at UFC 294, incumbent featherweight champion and pound-for-pound kingpin,…

Officially slated to fight for undisputed lightweight gold this weekend at UFC 294, incumbent featherweight champion and pound-for-pound kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski has made weight for his rematch with rival, Islam Makhachev – shifting over 26 pounds to reach championship weight for the clash.

Volkanovski, the current undisputed featherweight champion and pound-for-pound number one, will headline UFC 294 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE – on just 11 days’ notice, rematching Makhachev after the duo shared the Octagon back in February, dropping a unanimous decision loss to the Russian.

Attempting to avenge his sole promotional loss in his rematch with Makhachev, Volkanovski replaces former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, after the Brazilian was forced from the bout due to a nasty laceration on his right eyebrow suffered in the last round of sparring ahead of UFC 294.

In the time since his February lightweight title siege loss to Makhachev, New South Wales native, Alexander Volkanovski successfully unified the featherweight championships with a TKO win over former interim champion, Yair Rodríguez at UFC 290 back in July.

Alexander Volkanovski makes weight for UFC 294 title rematch

And landing on the scales this morning in the Middle East, Joe Lopez-trainee, Volkanovski successfully weighed in at 154.5lbs for the lightweight title fight against Makhachev – shifting an apparent 26.5lbs for his title rematch. For the incumbent gold holder, Makhachev, the defending champion also hit championship weight successfully, coming in at 155lbs.

Took the fight on short notice and he's first to the scale!@AlexVolkanovski in at 154.5lbs for tomorrow's #UFC294 main event pic.twitter.com/ZguSVG98q9

— UFC (@ufc) October 20, 2023

In the event’s co-headliner, former undisputed welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound chart topper, Kamaru Usman also successfully made weight for his middleweight divisional bow – landing at 184.5lbs for his first Octagon walk since March of this year.

As for his opponent, Usman takes on undefeated finisher, Khamzat Chimaev – who put prior seven and a half pound weight miss blues behind him ahead of UFC 294 – coming in at 185.5lbs for his middleweight division return in the Middle East this weekend.

Can Alexander Volkanovski avenge his title loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294?

Report – Khamzat Chimaev signs new multi fight deal ahead of UFC 294 return against Kamaru Usman

Undefeated contender, Khamzat Chimaev has reportedly put pen to paper on a new, multi-fight deal with the UFC ahead…

Undefeated contender, Khamzat Chimaev has reportedly put pen to paper on a new, multi-fight deal with the UFC ahead of his return to the Octagon this weekend against former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman – as he prepares for his seventh walk under the banner of the promotion.

Chimaev, the current number four ranked welterweight contender, makes his return to the Octagon this weekend at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE – taking on former welterweight champion and former pound-for-pound number one, Usman in his return to the middleweight limit.

Sidelined since he featured in the co-headliner of UFC 279 back in September of last year, Chechen-born contender, Chimaev most recently improved to 12-0 as a professional, stopping Kevin Holland with a first round D’Arce choke submission win at the T-Mobile Arena.

Khamzat Chimaev signs a new multi-fight contract ahead of UFC 294

And ahead of his comeback to active competition, Chimaev, as per ESPN reporter, Brett Okamoto, is set to kick-off his schedule this year as part of a new multi-fight deal with the Dana White-led organization.

Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) inks a new long term deal with the UFC, a few days ahead of his middleweight fight against Kamaru Usman. Signed the new deal on Tuesday of this week. https://t.co/0szUxbz1Q8

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 20, 2023

“Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) inks a new long term deal with the UFC, a few days ahead of his middleweight fight against Kamaru Usman,” Okamoto posted on his official X account. “Signed the new deal on Tuesday of this week.”

Taking part in an officially billed championship eliminator later this weekend against Usman, Chimaev will earn his first championship bout with a win over the Auchi native in the Middle East, in the form of a title bout against newly-crowned middleweight gold holder, Sean Strickland.

Over the course of his Octagon stint, Chimaev has landed victories over John Philips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, Li Jingliang, one-time welterweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns, and the above-mentioned, Holland.

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

Charles Oliveira urged to rematch Justin Gaethje after UFC 294 exit: ‘They have to fight again

Despite registering a one-sided first round submission win over Justin Gaethje just last year, former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira…

Despite registering a one-sided first round submission win over Justin Gaethje just last year, former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been told to rematch the former in order to earn another title fight, by former foe, Islam Makhachev.

Oliveira, the current number one ranked lightweight contender, was scheduled to headline UFC 294 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in a title fight rematch with the above-mentioned, Makhachev.

However, just 10 days’ out from fight night, the Sao Paulo finisher was forced to withdraw from the pairing with Makhachev after he suffered a nasty laceration above his right eyebrow, resulting in the insertion of Alexander Volkanovski into the bout on short-notice.

And despite returning to the winner’s enclosure with a June knockout win over Beneil Dariush after his title fight defeat to Makhachev last October, Charles Oliveira has been ruled from a fight with the incumbent again by his manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

Charles Oliveira urged to fight Justin Gaethje again after his UFC 294 no-show

Furthermore, American Kickboxing Academy staple, Makhachev claims both Oliveira and Gaethje should battle once more to determine his next challenger, as he eyes a stint at the welterweight limit after UFC 294.

“You know, honestly I feel, I’m gonna beat (Alexander) Volkanovski now, and I have two opponents [waiting for me after UFC 294],” Islam Makhachev told assembled media during his availability. “(Justin) Gaethje and (Charles) Oliveira. I think they have to fight again, and who is win, I just beat this guy, again.”

Fighting newly-minted BMF champion, Gaethje back in May on hostile grounds in Phoenix, Arizona, Oliveira, who had been stripped of his lightweight title due to a weight miss prior to the bout, submitted former interim champion, Gaethje with a dominant opening round rear-naked choke in ‘The Copper State’.

Would you like to see Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira face-off again?

Islam Makhachev echoes calls for welterweight title fight after UFC 294 return: ‘I want to be double champion’

Still with it all to do this weekend in the Middle East, undisputed lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has plans…

Still with it all to do this weekend in the Middle East, undisputed lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has plans to definitely challenge for gold a division higher, following his title rematch with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.

Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight gold holder, will return to the Octagon this weekend atop a UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi, drawing former-foe, Volkanovski in a reshuffled event curtain closer.

Initially, the Russian grappling ace was slated to headline the Etihad Arena event against former champion and previous opponent, Charles Oliveira, however, just 10 days’ out from the clash, the Brazilian suffered a nasty laceration over his eyebrow during sparring, forcing him out of the pairing.

Attempting to land a second consecutive title defense in a rematch with Volkanovski, back in February of this year in Perth, Australia, Makhachev handed the undisputed featherweight champion and pound-for-pound number one his first promotional loss in a close, unanimous decision headliner at UFC 284.

Maintaining distinct plans for a welterweight move after the culmination of UFC 294, Makhachev has stressed his desire to fight for a second championship in the promotion, mentioning the draw of stylistic matchups against either the incumbent, Leon Edwards, or incoming UFC 296 challenger, Colby Covington.

Islam Makhachev plans two-division title reign

And with UFC 294 just two days away, the American Kickboxing Academy staple remains firm in his plans to loft two titles simultaneously inside the Octagon after his return to the Middle East.

“Yeah, of course, if they [the UFC] call me, I will be ready for Colby (Covington) or Leon (Edwards),” Islam Makhachev told assembled media during his availability. “Any fight – but my dream, my goal, I want a second belt.”

“We have many UFC champions, but not much (sic) double champions,” Islam Makhachev explained. “I want to be double champion.”

Do you think Islam Makhachev can win a second Octagon crown?