Kamaru Usman will face Khamzat Chimaev within the co-main occasion of UFC 294, after changing Paulo Costa on 10 days’ discover.
Usman, who reigned as welterweight champion from 2018 till 2022, will make his middleweight debut within the bout, which pits him in opposition to one of the vital dominant prospects in combined martial arts. Swedish-born Russian Chimaev is 12-0 as an expert with 11 stoppage wins.
The match-up was confirmed on Wednesday (11 October), when Costa revealed that he would want two elbow surgical procedures this week, having already undergone one two weeks in the past. As such, the Brazilian is out of UFC 294, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on 21 October.
The 32-year-old’s withdrawal was the second by a Brazilian within the area of two days; on Tuesday (10 October), Charles Oliveira withdrew from the principle occasion of UFC 294 due to a extreme minimize over his proper eye.
Oliveira was due to problem Islam Makhachev for the light-weight title in a rematch – 12 months after the Russian submitted him in the identical venue in Abu Dhabi.
Alexander Volkanovski, who holds the featherweight title, is stepping in to change Oliveira and contest his personal rematch with Makhachev, who narrowly outpointed him to retain the light-weight belt in February.
Usman, 36, final fought in March, struggling a call loss to Leon Edwards whereas difficult for the welterweight title, which Edwards took from the Nigerian-American with a brutal head kick final August. Chimaev, 29, final fought in September 2022, submitting Kevin Holland in Round 1.
Chimaev was initially set to face Nate Diaz on that event however missed weight, main the cardboard to be altered on quick discover. Diaz as a substitute fought and submitted Tony Ferguson in the principle occasion.
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