LIVE-STREAM UFC 294 Full Fight Live Free Broadcast 4K On 21 October 2023
UFC is back in Abu Dhabi! THE UFC returns to Abu Dhabi this weekend for one of their biggest cards of a stacked year. Mixed martial arts' premier promotion returns to the capital of the UAE for a blockbuster UFC 294 card at the Etihad Arena. How to watch UFC 294 live stream: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2, start time, odds, full card
Click Here to Watch UFC 294 Full Fight Live Online
The Octagon action heads to Abu Dhabi. A major rematch is headed to pay-per-view this weekend during UFC 294 as Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev may have taken the winning title during UFC 284, but now he’s back to defend his crown against a hungry Volkanovski.
The card was due to be headlined by a lightweight title rematch between champion Islam Makhachev and former titleholder Charles Oliveira.
But a gruesome cut for Do Bronx laid waste to the fight, although it paved the way for a mammoth rematch between Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.
In the co-main event of the evening, the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev will make his middleweight debut against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Former pound-for-pound king Usman will look to defeat the Chechen clubber on a mere 11 DAYS' notice following Paulo Costa's withdrawal.
Watch a UFC 294 live stream
Date: Sat, Oct 21 2023
Start time (main card): 2pm ET / 11am PT / 7pm BST / 5am AEDT
TV channel: TNT Sports 2 (UK), ESPN+PPV (US)
Alexander Volkanovski has an early chance of revenge against Islam Makhachev as the two fighters come together for a Lightweight title clash in Abu Dhabi as the headline act for UFC 294.
The pair first faced off in Australia at UFC 284, where Makhachev handed Volkanovski the first defeat of his UFC career with a unanimous points victory.
This second encounter has come up maybe somewhat sooner than originally planned, after Volkanovski's original opponent, Charles Oliveira, injured himself while training, with this matchup pulled together with just 10 days notice.
You can watch the UFC 294 mixed martial arts on ESPN Plus for $79.99 with a PPV pass. In the UK, Makhachev v Volkanovski 2 is not a PPV and will be part of the regular TNT Sports subscription. It's the usual Kayo Sports PPV in Australia. Full details on how to watch a UFC 294 live stream online and on TV where you are just below.
Watch UFC 294 live stream: preview and prediction
With this card taking place in the United Arab Emirates it's worth being aware that the timings for the prelims and main card are somewhat different than what viewers will be normally used to for UFC events. Prelims begin at 10am ET / 3pm BST, followed by the main card at 2pm ET / 7pm BST, while the Makhachev v Volkanovski 2 cagewalks are expected at around 5pm ET / 10pm BST.
Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch a UFC 294 live stream, so you can catch Makhachev v Volkanovski 2 and the rest in the Octagon, from anywhere.
Who is Islam Makhachev?
Russian star Islam Makhachev enjoyed a string of 11 straight wins on his way to winning the UFC Lightweight belt back in October 2022.
And that that seemingly unstoppable run continued with a first defense of his crown in his first fight with his opponent for UFC 294 back in February.
The 31-year-old from Makhachkala, Dagestan, has the ideal mentor for continuing his dominance at this weight, with Makhachev counting UFC Lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov among his trainers.
Who is Alexander Volkanovski?
Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski is the current Featherweight champion, but saw his run of 12 consecutive wins – the longest active streak in the UFC at the time – come to an end in his previous encounter with Makhachkala.
The erstwhile semi-professional rugby league player and professional boxer has got the better of some of the biggest names in the sport, including Max Holloway, Jung Chan-sung and Brian Ortega.
Instantly recognizable because of his short and extremely stocky frame, Saturday's fight once again gives the Aussie the chance to become the fifth UFC fighter to reign supreme in two different divisions at the same time.
UFC 294 full card and highlights
Beyond the headline fight, UFC 294 boasts an intriguing co-main event which sees Khamzat Chimaev take on former UFC Welterweight champion Usman in a rearranged Middleweight clash, with Usman drafted in to replace the injured Paulo Costa.
Main card
Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Alexander Volkanovski (UFC Lightweight title fight)
Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Middleweight)
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker (Light Heavyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves; (Middleweight)
Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov (Bantamweight)
Prelims
Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev (Flyweights)
Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek (Lightweight)
Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry (Bantamweights)
Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas (Middleweight)
Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli (Lightweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov (Featherweight)
Victoria Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey (Strawweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva (Middleweight)
First up, can UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski make championship weight at lightweight when he challenges champion Islam Makhachev? UFC 294 takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and airs on ESPN+ PPV.
Volkanovski replaces Charles Oliveira, who injured himself during training camp. The Aussie lost against Makhachev in February and returned to featherweight to defend his belt in July. Undergoing hand surgery thereafter, this is a short turnaround for the man who entered last week weighing 180 pounds. However, “The Great” is not concerned about the near-radical amount of weight he needs to lose to make the 155-pound limit.
There’s no pressure on me, I’m not letting there be any pressure,” Volkanovski said during UFC 294 media day via MMA Mania. “But, there’s still a lot to lose. I don’t want people to act like me doing this is a no-brainer. I guarantee you, there’s not many fighters that are gonna do this. And you heard Islam say ‘No excuses’ and things like this. One thing I want to say is, 100-percent, if the roles were reversed, this fight is not happening. I don’t care what anyone says. He’s not fighting on 12 days notice. So he needs to remember that.
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamari Usman faces the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight fight. Usman replaces Paulo Costa, who had elbow surgery a few weeks ago. Chimaev has competed at welterweight and middleweight but missed weight at UFC 279 by a wide margin.
I’m still a welterweight. I’ve perfected that. I’ve been a professional throughout my career,” Usman told Sports Illustrated. “I’ve mastered how to do that effectively and safely. Khamzat is a bigger guy, he hasn’t always made weight. He’s ranked number four in my weight class. This should have happened in my weight class. At the end of the day, I spar with everybody whether you’re a welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, or even heavyweight.
UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 airs live on ESPN+ PPV from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 21. MMA event features a series of bouts headlined by a highly anticipated championship rematch.
In the five-round main event, Islam Makhachev (24-1) makes the second defense of his UFC lightweight title against current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-2). The pair meets for the second time. Makhachev came out on top in February, when he defeated Volkanovski by unanimous decision and made the first successful defense of his belt. The latter rebounded in July, when he stopped Yair Rodriguez in the third round and retained his 145-pound crown for the fifth time.
In the co-main event, undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (12-0) goes up against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-3). The pair squares off in the three-round bout serving as the UFC middleweight title eliminator.
Among other PPV card bouts, Johnny Walker (21-7) faces off Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) at light heavyweight. Plus, Warlley Alves (15-6) meets Ikram Aliskerov (14-1) at middleweight. In addition, Muin Gafurov (18-5) and Said Nurmagomedov (17-3) clash at bantamweight.
The Russian has won 24 of his 25 fights and is now aiming to defend his belt for the second time against Volkanovski. He was originally meant to face Charles Oliveira but the Brazilian has pulled out due to a cut above his right eye, with ‘The Great’ stepping in as he looks for revenge.