- Volkanovski to face Makhachev
- Oliveira withdraws due to injury
- The fight will be for the lightweight title
Australian UFC star Alex Volkanovski will face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 after Charles Oliveira was forced out due to injury – and the championship fight is less than two weeks away .
UFC boss Dana White announced the rematch news after The Contender Series Season 7 finale, explaining that Oliveira suffered a serious cut to his eyebrow during a fight that required stitches .
Volkanovski, on just ten days’ notice, will step in to avenge his close decision loss to Makhachev in Perth at UFC 284 – and make a second attempt at becoming a two-division champion.
Makhachev has not fought since his bout with Volkanovski, while the Australian star has stayed busy, moving back down to featherweight to defeat interim champion Yair Rodriguez by TKO at UFC 290.
White said it only took “one phone call” for Volkanovski to agree to the rematch.
Alex Volkanovski to face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294
The fight is only ten days away and will be for the UFC lightweight title.
“Team Volkanovski, him and Israel (Adesanya), those guys are real studs, man,” White said.
“That’s how we do it, bro,” White added.
“A fight fails and we end up fighting – it’s one of the most anticipated rematches ever seen in this weight class.”
Volkanovski has made no formal confirmation regarding the confrontation with his old enemy, but shared a post on his Instagram page on Wednesday afternoon saying: “Alex Volkanovski is the baddest motherfucker to walk God’s green earth.”
With Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 headlining UFC 294, lightweight star Matuesz Gamrot will remain in place as a backup in case something goes wrong between now and October 14.
The Australian MMA champion has five successful title defenses and six featherweight title fight victories, the second most in the division’s history.
Makhachev has only one title defense, but has won his last 12 fights in the promotion.
Although he didn’t raise his hand the last time the two met in the Octagon, Volkanovski showed he could stifle Makhachev’s fight and repeatedly called for a second bite of the cherry.
The two met at UFC 284 in Perth earlier in the year and Volkanovski suffered a slight defeat.
UFC boss Dana White said it only took one phone call for the Australian to accept the fight.
“We all know I want that lightweight belt,” Volkanovski said during the UFC 290 post-fight press conference.
“We all know I want this rematch. I want this fight against Islam. I think not only for me, getting that belt, getting that win back, but I think it’s a huge fight for the UFC as well.
“I think it’s a fight that everyone wants to see. It was literally that kind of fight. It was so close. It was a fierce fight. Everyone appreciated it. I was at a very, very high level. It was (#1 and #2 pound for pound) to go. We showed up, that’s really it.
“He lived up to the hype. I lived up to the hype and this fight lived up to the hype. We just need to see (rounds) 5 to 10.”
The UFC card will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.