Islam Makhachev will defend his light-weight title towards Charles Oliveira in the principle occasion of UFC 294, after Khamzat Chimaev makes his return towards Paulo Costa.
Makhachev gained the vacant light-weight title by submitting Oliveira in Abu Dhabi final October, and now the pair will return to the scene of that struggle nearly precisely one yr on, as they headline on the Etihad Arena once more.
Russian Makhachev, 31, has since retained the belt towards featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, beating the Australian with a slim choice in February. Meanwhile, Brazilian Oliveira bounced again from his loss to Makhachev by stopping Beneil Dariush within the first spherical in June.
Oliveira, 33, gained the light-weight title in 2021 after it was vacated by Khabib Nurmagomedov – Makhachev’s coach and childhood good friend – upon the icon’s retirement. Oliveira was stripped of the gold final May after lacking weight, someday earlier than his deliberate title defence towards Justin Gaethje, whom he submitted in Round 1 to arrange his first bout with Makhachev.
In the co-main occasion of UFC 294, Chimaev will take on former title challenger Costa at middleweight, in a late change to the UFC’s scheduling.
Former title challenger Costa was resulting from struggle Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 on 29 July, however the Brazilian will now face Chimaev on the identical evening that Aliskerov takes on Nassourdine Imavov.
The unbeaten Chimaev has fought at each middleweight and welterweight within the UFC, and he most not too long ago confronted Kevin Holland in a catchweight bout at 180lbs in September. The Russian-born Swede submitted Holland within the first spherical, after lacking weight and seeing his deliberate welterweight conflict with Nate Diaz fall via.
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