UFC 294 ‘Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2’ + Weekly MMA News
UFC Vegas 81 started like a very technical card, but it turned out into one of the most entertaining events ever. As expected, Terrance McKinney destroyed his opponent in 20 seconds, but somehow he didn’t get the POTN award.
2️⃣0️⃣ seconds is all it took for @TWrecks155!!!! #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/Y3RzkeDjpm
— UFC (@ufc) October 14, 2023
The two Performance of the Night awards were handed to Michel Pereira and Jonathan Martinez. Pereira destroyed Petroski in his 185-pound debut, while Martinez stopped Adrian Yanez via brutal left-leg kicks in the second round.
No better way to introduce yourself to the middleweight division 🤯@UFCPereira gets the finish in round one! #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/iVnhR3NtIx
— UFC (@ufc) October 14, 2023
What a finish for @JonathanMyda 💪
He puts an end to this one via leg kick! #UFCVegas81 pic.twitter.com/EmNDOkT6na
— UFC (@ufc) October 15, 2023
Edson Barboza and Sodiq Yusuff captured 50k for the “Fight of the Night” bonus. Yusuff came close to finishing Barboza in the first, but the Brazilian recovered and dominated in the last four rounds, which led him to a unanimous decision win.
UFC 294 Is Heading Our Way
This is a huge week for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The promotion travels to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for one of the most legendary pay-per-view events. But the story behind this fabulous card is bittersweet.
Image source: @UFCBrasil Twitter
Islam Makhachev was set to defend his 155-pound strap against Charles Oliveira, but the Brazilian suffered a nasty injury, so Alexander Volkanovski stepped in to rematch the Dagestani champ. Khamzat Chimaev was set to square off against Paulo Costa, but Costa ended up in the hospital due to an infection, so his new opponent is Kamaru Usman. The promotion also lost Nassourdine Imavov vs Ikram Aliskerov, so Ikram’s new opponent is Warlley Alves.
The main event of the evening is very tricky for prediction. Volkanovski nearly defeated Makhachev in their first match after five rounds of total war, so this fight could go either way. The Aussie is the only 155-pound fighter who can stop Makhachev’s wrestling, and he’s a better fighter, so I might give Alexander the advantage here.
Prediction: over 2.5 rounds
Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev could be a very entertaining wrestling combat, as both of these fighters are known for superb transitions and excellent top control. Unfortunately, Usman is the former 170-pound champion, and his knees suffered a lot of damage, so Chimaev will probably be way stronger than him as the two meet in a middleweight bout.
Prediction: Khamzat to win
UFC 294 Full Fight Card
Please take a look at the full fight card below, there are many entertaining combats in this PPV event.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 2 PM ET, 7 PM UK time)
Lightweight title fight: Islam Makhachev (24-1-0) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (26-2-0)
Middleweight: Kamaru Usman (20-3-0) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (12-0-0)
Lightweight: Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) vs. Johnny Walker (21-7-0)
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov (14-1-0) vs. Warlley Alves (14-6-0)
Bantamweight: Said Nurmagomedov (17-3-0) vs. Muin Gafurov (18-5-0)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 10 AM ET, 3 PM UK time)
Flyweight: Tim Elliott (19-12-1) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (9-0-0)
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (12-3-0) vs. Trevor Peek (8-1-0)
Bantamweight: Javid Basharat (14-0-0) vs. Victor Henry (23-6-0)
Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas (8-1-0) vs. Abu Azaitar (14-3-1)
Lightweight: Anshul Jubli (7-0-0) vs. Mike Breeden (10-6-0)
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood 19-5-0 vs. Muhammad Naimov 9-2-0
Strawweight: Jinh Yu Frey (11-9-0) vs. Victoria Dudakova (7-0-0)
Middleweight: Bruno Silva (23-9-0) vs. Sharabutdin Magomedov (11-0-0)
UFC 294 Full Card Predictions
Please check my playlist below for a full fight card breakdown.
UFC 294 suffered many blows in the last two weeks, but this is one of the greatest events of the year. It is worth your money, but you will have to get up later if you live in the USA. Enjoy some great toe-to-toe exchanges and three-round wars on Saturday!
