{"id":294394,"date":"2023-10-26T01:29:10","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T01:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=294394"},"modified":"2023-10-26T01:29:10","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T01:29:10","slug":"whats-next-for-the-main-and-co-main-event-fighters-after-ufc-294","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/mma\/whats-next-for-the-main-and-co-main-event-fighters-after-ufc-294\/","title":{"rendered":"What's next for the main and co-main event fighters after UFC 294?"},"content":{"rendered":"
On Saturday night, scores were settled, history was made and rivalries were ended after the dust settled on a thrilling UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taking place at the Etihad Arena, UFC fans were treated to two blockbuster fights as Islam Makhachev took on\u00a0Alexander Volkanovski\u00a0and\u00a0Khamzat Chimaev faced off with\u00a0Kamaru Usman.<\/p>\n
In the main event, Makhachev scored a huge KO win over Volkanovski in the second round to retain his UFC lightweight title – after his counterpart stepped in on 11 days notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chimaev took to his middleweight debut with ease and dismantled the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ across three rounds to score a majority decision victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And so, here, Mail Sport<\/span> takes a look at what’s next for each fighter on the main and co-main event.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Islam Makhachev retained his UFC lightweight title after a thrilling UFC 294 event on Saturday<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Dagestani fighter triumphed over Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski (left) after a brutal KO<\/p>\n After accepting the fight with Chimaev on just 10 days notice, the prospect of leaving the Etihad Arena with a victory to his name seemed slim.\u00a0<\/p>\n Notably, this is because Chimaev had been preparing for months on end for the move from welterweight to middleweight – while Usman had just days.<\/p>\n In the end, it proved pivotal for the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ – who was handed a majority decision defeat following a brutal first-round from Chimaev.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chechen-born Chimaev landed a takedown almost immediately and looked as though he could finish the fight within the first five minutes, but Usman held on.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reflecting on the defeat, Usman said:\u00a0‘He’s had a year-and-a-half to grow into this weight class and I didn’t… I didn’t trust my shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kamaru Usman suffered his third defeat in a row after fighting Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday<\/p>\n ‘I’m a Championship fighter and you can’t start slow like that. Give me a couple extra rounds and I think the world knows what that result might be’.<\/p>\n With that in mind, it perhaps makes sense for Usman to cut his losses within the middleweight division and return to welterweight – where a number of interesting challenges still remain.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Colby Covington and Leon Edwards are booked for a December title bout, a number of the top contenders would make for a great match-up with Usman.\u00a0<\/p>\n Belal Muhammad, who is ranked second in the weight division, would make for a thrilling fight with the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’, following his triumph over Gilbert Burns earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n If not, a match-up with the winner of\u00a0Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Stephen Thompson would also intrigue MMA fans.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ was dealt the defeat after accepting the fight on 10 days notice<\/p>\n In case there were any lingering doubts, Khamzat Chimaev proved that he is destined for the top after his dominant performance on Saturday night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The 29-year-old made light work of the former UFC welterweight champion and recorded an impressive 10-8 first round from all three judges.<\/p>\n He went on to secure the majority decision win after a scoring of 29\u201327, 29\u201327, 28\u201328, as he cemented his place within the middleweight division.\u00a0<\/p>\n But, after such a dominant showing, what next for the Russian star?<\/p>\n Well, shortly after his victory, Chimaev took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to issue a warning message to current middleweight champion Sean Strickland.\u00a0<\/p>\n He boldly claimed: ‘You are next don\u2019t worry you know how fast I can finish you’.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Borz’ put in a dominant performance to record his seventh win in the organisation<\/p>\n While a bout between Chimaev and Strickland would be sure to intrigue UFC fans across the world, there remains some doubt whether that bout will happen next.\u00a0<\/p>\n Within the middleweight division, it’s clear South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis deserves to have the next title shot – after his emphatic KO win over Robert Whittaker in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, with Israel Adesanya enjoying a self-imposed hiatus from the sport, it leaves just a handful of feasible options for ‘Borz’.\u00a0<\/p>\n One option, and perhaps the most logical, would be to re-book the initially scheduled bout for UFC 294 – which saw Chimaev matched up with Paulo Costa.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was a match-up that certainly had fans excited, only for the bout to come crashing down after a gruesome injury to Costa’s elbow.\u00a0<\/p>\n Once fully healed, there’s no doubt that the bout should go ahead, prior to Chimaev earning that esteemed title shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It makes sense to reschedule the originally-planned bout against Paulo Costa (pictured)<\/p>\n After what can only be described as a bitterly disappointing night for the featherweight champion, what lies ahead for Alexander ‘The Great’?\u00a0<\/p>\n Well, after the fight, the Aussie star\u00a0broke down in tears and\u00a0<\/span>revealed the intense personal strain he has been under.<\/span><\/p>\n He explained how his lack of routine – which came amid his need for a fight – lead to admissions that he’s ‘struggled’ mentally in recent months.\u00a0<\/p>\n With all of that considered, it makes sense for Volkanovski to get back into the octagon as soon as possible – but another shot at the lightweight title makes little sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, Volk will return to featherweight after he verbally agreed to defend his strap against Ilia Topuria in the first UFC event on 2024.<\/p>\n Topuria has yet to taste defeat throughout his six fights in the organisation and has been tipped to be the one to dethrone Volkanovski for the featherweight title.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, after suffering such a brutal KO against Makhachev, there are questions as to whether ‘Volk’ can have such a quick turn-around inside the octagon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alexander Volkanovski cut a dejected figure after his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294<\/p>\n After such an emphatic showing against Volkanovski, UFC fans will wonder how Islam Makhachev will choose to follow-up his impressive win.\u00a0<\/p>\n There have been some rogue shouts for the Dagestani to try his luck against welterweight champion Leon Edwards, however that prospect seems unlikely.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, it would make sense for Makhachev to continue his defence of the lightweight belt, as he closes in on the joint-record for the\u00a0most lightweight title defences in UFC history.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some fans have mooted the idea of a match-up between Makhachev and Justin Gaethje – who has recorded wins over Dustin Poirier and\u00a0Rafael Fiziev in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, who better to face-off with in his next fight than Charles Oliveira – who had initially been scheduled to fight Makhachev in UFC 294’s main event.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Brazilian suffered a nasty cut during a sparring session in the build-up to that fight that inevitably ruled him out of competing all together.\u00a0<\/p>\n Luckily, Volkanovski still took the fight on just 11 days notice but fans will still be eager to see ‘do Bronx’ and Makhachev battle for the second time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In their first encounter, back in October 2022, the Dagestani recorded a submission win over Oliveira but it’s clear that they still have a score to settle.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many have called for the UFC to re-book Makhachev’s rematch bout against Charles Oliveira<\/p>\nKAMARU USMAN<\/h2>\n
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV<\/h2>\n
ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI<\/h2>\n
ISLAM MAKHACHEV<\/h2>\n