Makhachev and Volkovski will face each other for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

ILoveSports

2 yrs

Makhachev and Volkovski will face each other for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

UFC 294 will take place this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and it looks like it will be exciting. The pay-per-view event has undergone significant changes due to last week's withdrawal of two prominent names from the card. In addition to the injury that forced Charles Oliveira to withdraw, his fellow countryman Paulo Costa has also fallen victim to health problems. Stepping in to create what many have described as a stellar lineup are featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and former middleweight champion Kamaru Usman. While the former will compete against Islam Makhachev for the lightweight gold medal, the latter is tasked with breaking the undefeated record of Hamzat Chimaev. Elsewhere, contenders like light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev, flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokhiaev, and newcomer Shamil Magomedov will step into the Octagon. As is customary during PPV fight weeks, the main attractions took the stage on Thursday for the pre-fight press conference. UFC 294 saw the four men on the top of the card holding microphones in their hands.