In the early morning hours of July 20th, UFC President Dana White shocked the MMA world with three loud announcements for the Abu Dhabi tournament. The fans will be treated to an exciting rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira, the return of Khamzat Chimaev to the octagon and an intriguing middleweight showdown between two prospects.
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Makhachev and Oliveira to meet in a rematch
The 2022 title showdown between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira was one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Fans trembled with excitement, expecting a stylistically intriguing fight - combat sambo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? But there was no real confrontation: Makhachev devoured the Brazilian, choking him in the second round and becoming the new champion.
Within a year, Islam defended his belt against Alex Volkanovski in a dramatic fight at UFC 284 in Australia. Oliveira hasn't been idle either, stopping Beneil Dariush in the first round at UFC 289 to retain the top spot in the division.
Now, "do Bronx" is an obvious title challenger, as he has beaten and choked out opponents ranked second through fifth in the division. Many fans believe that Oliveira has a much better chance of beating Islam in the rematch. We'll find out in three months.
Chimaev flies up to the middleweight division
Khamzat Chimaev has finally learned the name of his opponent - Paulo Costa. There have been many rumors over the past six months about Borz fighting Colby Covington, Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, and so on. Paulo Costa was also on the list. And now the UFC matchmakers have decided to bring together two hyped fighters who have a conflict and a history.
Chimaev was pitted against a top middleweight who fights less than once a year, disrupts fights, doesn't make weight, and is more interested in making social media posts than punching someone in the face. It's an interesting matchup in theory. Although the bookmakers consider Khamzat the clear favorite, the showdown between the Swedish Chechen and the Brazilian will be entertaining to watch. However, both will have to make it to the octagon for this fight to happen.
Aliskerov gets an opponent from the top 15
On May 17th, the UFC President put his cards on the table and announced the main card for UFC 291. Ikram Aliskerov was initially scheduled to face Paulo Costa. Few believed that the Brazilian would actually agree to fight a man no one knows.
Everyone was waiting to see how the situation would play out and if Costa would pull out of the fight. And this week, Paulo confirmed the fans' speculations and indirectly hinted at a fight with Chimaev. And what about Aliskerov?
Ikram got an easier opponent - Nassourdine Imavov (#13 in the middleweight division). It's a great matchup for a Dagestani with one UFC fight under his belt. Most likely, if someone pulls out of the Chimaev vs. Costa confrontation, Imavov or Aliskerov can fill in.
So far, the UFC has only announced four fights in Abu Dhabi (Muhammad Mokaev vs. Tim Elliott is the fourth). But the UAE tournament is called the "home even for Russian fighters" for a reason. We're looking forward to more exciting new announcements for a heated UFC 294.
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