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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

Video: Did the UFC 294 main event get better with the Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski rematch?

Islam Makhachev Alexander Volkanovski UFC Charles Oliveira UFC 294

The MMA world was cruising along to a UFC 294 lightweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and ex-champ Charles Oliveira. Then the rug got pulled out.

Oliveira had to pull out with an injury less than two weeks before the Saturday headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The UFC had what seemed to be a handful of options for someone to step in for the Brazilian to gun for Makhachev’s belt – and it went the person who had the most recent crack at the title.

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) stepped up on short notice to fight Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) not long after his unanimous decision loss in February, when he tried to become a simultaneous two-division titleholder.

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