The UFC returns to the Middle East on Saturday for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi – with two hastily assembled replacement matchups at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC 294 with the lightweight belt on the line.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC 294 has a main card that begins at 2 p.m. ET and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view. The prelims stream on ESPN+ beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
Watch MMA Junkie this week for additional broadcast details.
Main event: Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will put his lightweight title on the line for the second time against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev won a unanimous decision in February in Australia when Volkanovski first tried to become a two-division titleholder. Makhachev was set to fight former champ Charles Oliveira until Oliveira pulled out this past week. Makhachev has 12 straight wins. The lone loss of his MMA career came by knockout against Adriano Martins more than eight years ago. It was the biggest win of Martins’ career by far; he never won another fight.
Main event: Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) must have soloed under a lucky star. When former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira pulled out of his title fight rematch with Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) this past week, the door opened for Volkanovski to get his second crack at becoming a two-division titleholder. Volkanovski, the UFC’s featherweight champ, lost a unanimous decision to Makhachev in February. He defended his 145-pound belt in July, and now he’ll take another stab at the second piece of hardware. Makhachev is the only fighter to beat Volkanovski in the past more than 10 years.
Co-main event: Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) hasn’t seen action in more than a year. The unbeaten rising star can shed the prospect label if he gets through former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in their middleweight fight. Usman stepped up on 10 days’ notice when Paulo Costa pulled out. Chimaev missed weight badly in his most recent fight and instead of fighting Nate Diaz at UFC 279, he fought Kevin Holland at 180 pounds. Up 15 pounds, where he’s fought before, Chimaev hopefully will have no issues with the scale this time around.
Co-main event: Kamaru Usman
After back-to-back title fight losses to Leon Edwards, former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC) will try things out at middleweight when he takes on the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev on just 10 days’ notice. Usman stepped up for Paulo Costa and will have the pressure of his two-fight skid to Edwards staring back at him as an underdog against Chimaev.
UFC debut: Mohammad Yahya
Mohammad Yahya (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) gets a home fight for his highly anticipated UFC debut. The United Arab Emirates native comes to the promotion as the UAE Warriors lightweight champion. He’ll put his five-fight winning streak on the line against Trevor Peek (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on the prelims.
UFC debut: Shara Magomedov
Shara Magomedov (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a 29-year-old Russian middleweight, will make his promotional debut against Brazil’s Bruno Silva (23-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) to open up the card. The unbeaten Magomedov has gone to a decision just once in his career. He’s coming off an 8-second knockout win this past December.
Pay-per-view main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)
- Champ Islam Makhachev (-350) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (+205) – for lightweight title
- Khamzat Chimaev (-250) vs. Kamaru Usman (+200)
- Magomed Ankalaev (-350) vs. Johnny Walker (+275)
- Ikram Aliskerov (-470) vs. Warlley Alves (+360)
- Muin Gafurov (+180) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (-220)
ESPN+ preliminary card betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)
- Tim Elliott (+370) vs. Muhammad Mokaev (-485)
- Trevor Peek (-125) vs. Mohammad Yahya (+105)
- Javid Basharat (-425) vs. Victor Henry (+330)
- Abu Azaitar (+145) vs. Sedriques Dumas (-175)
- Mike Breeden (+320) vs. Anshul Jubli (-410)
- Muhammad Naimov (+245) vs. Nathaniel Wood (-305)
- Victoria Dudakova (-395) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+310)
- Shara Magomedov (-205) vs. Bruno Silva (+170)
