Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Abu Azaitar opens up on long layoff, why he ‘had to fight’ Sedriques Dumas at UFC 294

ABU DHABI – Abu Azaitar will return from an over two-year layoff at UFC 294.

Azaitar (14-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on Sedriques Dumas (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a middleweight bout Saturday.

Azaitar detailed the hardships during his time off, the tough camp he endured in his most recent loss to Marc-Andre Barriault, and his desire to fight Dumas in Abu Dhabi over Paris.

Azaitar talked about that and more at Wednesday’s UFC 294 media day in Abu Dhabi.

Check out the full interview in the video above.

UFC 294 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.