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The Bigger Picture | UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2
Take A Look At The Biggest Talking Points Coming Out Of All The Action In Abu Dhabi
Following each pay-per-view event, The Bigger Picture will take a wide-angle look at what transpired inside the Octagon, what the results mean for the victors and the vanquished, and some of the larger storylines and talking points to emerge from the event that just concluded.
Evenings at Etihad Arena — and fight cards in Abu Dhabi, in general — never disappoint and consistently provide plenty to talk about once the smoke clears and the dust settles, and that holds true in the wake of UFC 294.
Saturday’s pay-per-view took a little time to heat up and a couple different bouts where inadvertent blows halted the action, however, this trip to the United Arab Emirates also featured a handful of statement efforts and standout performances from athletes that were in the spotlight heading into this event.
UFC 294 Rewind: Results | Scorecards | Bonus Coverage
Makhachev Makes a Statement
My colleague Zac Pacleb will cover how the lightweight division currently stacks up in the wake of Islam Makhachev retaining his title in the UFC 294 main event on Tuesday in his great Where We Stand Series, so I’ll leave that to him, and focus more on the incredible run that the lightweight champion is putting together right before our eyes.
After going 25 hard minutes with Alexander Volkanovski in February at UFC 284, Makhachev was able to dispatch the featherweight champion in just over three minutes on Saturday, taking him off his feet with a left high kick that was well set up and perfectly timed.
MORE UFC 294: Dana White Reacts To Islam Makhachev’s Win And Other Topics At UFC 294 Presser
That’s now consecutive successful title defenses for Makhachev, who won the title a year ago by halting Charles Oliveira’s five-year, 11-fight winning streak by submitting the Brazilian in the second round. He’s won 13 straight overall, registering finishes in five of his last six outings while navigating multiple short-notice opponent changes along the way.
Makhachev is 25-1 overall, with his lone loss coming via first-round knockout against Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in Houston eight years ago.
Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 294
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Islam Makhachev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 294
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Read those last couple sentences again.
The current lightweight champion hasn’t lost in eight years, hasn’t lost in 13 fights, and has worked his way to the top of the division (and the pound-for-pound charts) by navigating a dangerous slate that includes a bunch of quality veterans, current contender Arman Tsarukyan in the early days of his UFC career, perennial tough outs like Drew Dober, Dan Hooker, and Bobby Green, Oliveira, and then consecutive wins over the reigning featherweight champion.
Oliveira and Volkanovski are a combined 22-3 inside the Octagon over the last five years; Makhachev is responsible for all three defeats.
Makhachev is a special talent in the midst of the kind of dominant run that doesn’t come along too often. He’s willing to take on all challengers, regardless of notice, and looks to still be refining pieces of his game, which means he could continue to maintain a stranglehold on this division for at least a few more years.
Props to Volk
Volkanovski acknowledged going into the fight that a loss likely meant his chances of challenging for the lightweight title were over — at least as long as Makhachev had the belt — and understood the risk involved in facing the champ on short notice.
In the end, it didn’t work out, but you have to give the featherweight boss heaps of respect for jumping into such a massive fight on short notice and betting on himself in this way. Sure, it didn’t work out, but there is something to be said for those that are willing to chase greatness like that, and I respect the hell out of the Australian standout for taking a big swing this week.
He’s still the best featherweight on the planet, and expressed a desire to jump into a fight with Ilia Topuria in January, though the status of the injuries he incurred on Saturday and the mental struggles he detailed in his post-fight media availability will certainly factor into figuring out when he returns.
Alexander Volkanovski Octagon Interview | UFC 294
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Alexander Volkanovski Octagon Interview | UFC 294
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One of the things that is beautiful about this sport is that most people understand and accept that challenging yourself and faltering is better than never taking any chances, and while the losses to Makhachev surely sting, they don’t do anything — in my opinion — to diminish the legacy of “Alexander the Great.”
Chimaev Keeps Marching On
Khamzat Chimaev remains undefeated after collecting a majority decision win over Kamaru Usman in the UFC 294 co-main event.
It wasn’t the kind of one-sided smashing “Borz” delivered in previous Abu Dhabi appearances, but he dominated the opening frame and did enough to hang on down the stretch, acknowledging after the fact that he believes he broke his hand in the opening round. Usman was game, pushed him, and made him deal with some adversity, and much like in his bout with Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, Chimaev was able to find a way to get the victory.
Khamzat Chimaev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 294
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Khamzat Chimaev Post-Fight Interview | UFC 294
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While this may not feel like the usual type of effort that catapults someone into a championship opportunity, Chimaev is now 7-0 in the UFC, 13-0 overall, and just might be one of those competitors that needs a challenge of that magnitude in order to bring out his absolute best… and current champ Sean Strickland’s constant pressure and bottomless gas tank are big hurdles for the unbeaten contender to clear.
Like Volkanovski, Usman gets nothing but love for stepping in with a monster like Chimaev on short notice and fighting him closer than anyone else to date. His legacy is cemented, as well, and it’s clear now that reports of his demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Quick Hitters
Ikram Aliskerov looks like the genuine article after blowing through Warlley Alves to register his second straight first-round stoppage win. The 30-year-old has a full arsenal of skills and has only lost once in his career, to Chimaev, which is even more reason to pay close attention to his continued ascent in the middleweight division.
Said Nurmagomedov may not currently be ranked in the bantamweight division, but he’s an absolute menace and his ninja choke is becoming a nasty go-to finisher. He’s 5-1 over his last six and 7-2 inside the Octagon overall, with his last loss to coming to the surging Jonathan Martinez. There are going to be quite a few ascendant fighters in the 135-pound weight class that are looking to steer clear of the dangerous Russian going forward, with good reason.
Muhammad Mokaev notched the biggest win of his young career on Saturday, submitting former title challenger and Top 15 fixture Tim Elliott. It’s his fifth straight victory in the UFC, his third straight third-round finish, and showed that the 23-year-old has graduated from prospect to contender status in the 125-pound weight class.
Shara Magomedov carried a great deal of hype into his promotional debut and validated much of it with a unanimous decision win over Bruno Silva. His kicking game is bananas, he was attacking off his back when taken down, and he’s got a new No. 1 fan in Daniel Cormier as well. Worst-case, “Shara Bullet” should be a fun, all-action addition to the 185-pound weight class, and if he can address that takedown defense, things could get real interesting.
One Last Thing
I want to give a shout out to the collection of referees that worked Saturday’s fight card — Marc Goddard, Jason Herzog, Dan Movahedi, and Lukasz Bosacki. This was an event marred by fouls and unfortunate situations and they did well to navigate the challenging situations and did their best to maintain order throughout.
Refereeing is often a thankless job — we say little when they get things right (which is most of the time) and attack without mercy if they happen to make a mistake — so I wanted to make sure to acknowledge a job well done before signing off.
And with that, I’m out.
See you again after UFC 295.
UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 21, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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