’s annual trip to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday looks much better now than it did two weeks ago. Initially slated to seeheadliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi received a surprising upgrade a week and a half out, as Oliveira was replaced by featherweight championMakhachev , Volkanovski
When Makhachev won the UFC’s lightweight title, it felt like both a coronation and a continuation of a dynasty. Makhachev was assumed to have championship-level chops immediately upon hitting the UFC in 2015 but essentially lived in the shadow of, a longtime close friend and training partner.
The two locked horns in February for a fight that lived up to the hype as a dream match, though it did not play out quite as expected. Makhachev proved himself to be every bit the striker as Volkanovski on the feet, and the Russian’s wrestling game was not the guaranteed escape valve it had been in most fights, owing to the featherweight champion’s wrestling chomps.
The fight was close enough that the idea of a rematch floated in the ether even as both men moved on. Volkanovski defended his title with another standout performance againstin July, while Makhachev—who suddenly found himself without many healthy potential challengers who would be ready for Abu Dhabi in October—was initially slated to rematch Oliveira here.
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