Islam Makhachev vs Alex Volkanovski for UFC 294: Disappointment and excitement arose as UFC CEO Dana White updated a crucial change in the upcoming UFC 294 maincard, which is going to occur on October 21, 2023, in Abu Dhabi. The disappointing thing is that Charles Oliveira will no longer be fighting the lightweight king, Islam Makhachev, as he has pulled out of the event. But soon, excitement doubled as Alex Volkanovski stepped in, and it paved the way for another super fight between them, considering the first fight was very close.
Yess!! Islam Makhachev vs Alex Volkanovski 2 is here
The first fight between them ended with Islam Makhachev beating the featherweight champion by unanimous decision. The fight was very competitive, and the fans immediately wanted a rematch between them to settle the business of finding out if Volkanovski could beat the invincible lightweight captain. When the Abu Dhabi card was booked on Islam vs Charles 2, it was clear that the super fight would have to wait in line for another occasion.
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Decoding the Events After Islam vs Volk 1
After their first fight, which headlined UFC 284 in Perth, Alex Volkanovski got busy in his own division. He fought Yair Rodriguez in UFC 290 in July and beat him by TKO. On the other hand, Islam hasn’t fought anyone ever since, as it was unclear who would fight for the lightweight title next. Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Beineil Dariush were in contention, and the UFC booked two fights: one for the BMF belt between Dustin and Justin, and the other for the number one contention fight between Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira.
In the BMF bout, Justin rocked Dustin Poirier with a head kick in UFC 291 and clinched the belt. Charles had dominated and knocked out Beneil Dariush in UFC 289 too. Charles’ amazing performance in the fight again booked a title fight with Islam Makhachev for UFC 294.
Islam Makhachev vs Alex Volkanovski for UFC 294: What Can You Expect in Their Second Fight?
Alex Volkanovski has eleven days to prepare for Islam Makhachev, and that is too short to fight someone like him. But again, Alex has been more active since their last fight. He had a full training camp against Yair Rodriguez, and in that, he mainly trained for ground game and submission defense. This would help him against Islam Makhachev, for sure. A great fighter like him might not always need a full training camp either.
On the other hand, Islam hasn’t had a fight since he fought Volk in February. But the Dagistani has always been on his training pads. Also, he might be a bit stronger this time. Last time in Perth, he didn’t have enough time to rehydrate after a tough weight cut due to the time difference in Australia. This was reflected in the fight too, as the champion looked a bit tired in the later rounds. But Abu Dhabi wouldn’t give him that problem, and he will be much stronger in clinch positions and takedowns.
On paper, Islam has a higher chance of winning the bout.
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