In a few weeks, the Octagon will return to Abu Dhabi for the first time in a year when lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defends his championship against Charles Oliveira.
The middleweight division’s co-main event pits former championship challenger Paulo Costa against rising star Khamzat Chimaev in what could be an action-packed contest. The rest of the lineup is loaded with seasoned and rising talent, as has come to be customary for these Abu Dhabi pay-per-view events.
Before UFC 294 takes place, let’s review what happened at UFC 280: Makhachev vs. Oliviera, the previous time the UFC visited Yas Island.
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Even after Oliveira controversially missed weight at UFC 274 in Arizona, many people still considered “Do Bronxs” to be the best lightweight in the world because of how quickly he defeated Justin Gaethje. Nevertheless, Makhachev has long been regarded as a potential champion who was unable to advance in the ranks because he lacked the correct opponents. However, the Khabib Nurmagomedov protégé quickly found himself in title contention.
The tight but courteous buildup culminated in a main event where Makhachev enjoyed the majority of the success. Makhachev eagerly wrestled the Brazilian whereas the majority of opponents who rocked Oliveira stayed wary of going to the ground with the UFC’s all-time submission leader. Makhachev downed his opponent after Oliveira’s errant flying knee attempt, then sank a tight arm triangle to win the lightweight title. Following that, Makhachev invited Alexander Volkanovski to the Octagon, where they prepared for their titanic fight at UFC 284.
Aljamain Sterling ultimately defeated former champion TJ Dillashaw in the co-main event after months of verbal sparring. Unfortunately, it was clear early on in the bout that Dillashaw had a compromised state because his shoulder had popped out of position. Even though he survived the opening round, Sterling immediately forced Dillashaw to the canvas in the second round, where he battered his way to another title defence.
