UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2 took place on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was the immediate rematch of the most competitive lightweight title fight of 2023 — Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, first contested at UFC 284 in February 2023. This time the rematch lasted 41 seconds. The card produced an estimated 500,000 pay-per-view buys.
Volkanovski accepted the rematch on approximately 11 days' notice after the original opponent was withdrawn. Makhachev landed a clean left hook counter at 0:38 that dropped Volkanovski, followed with two ground strikes before referee Marc Goddard intervened at 0:41. Islam Makhachev retained the lightweight title in the fastest finish of his championship reign.
The co-main produced its own drama: Khamzat Chimaev faced Kamaru Usman at middleweight on short notice for both men. Chimaev dominated via takedowns and ground control to win via unanimous decision. Robert Whittaker was TKO'd by Ikram Aliskerov in round two — the biggest middleweight contender upset of the card.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
📍 Venue: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
👥 Attendance: 18,000 (full capacity)
📺 PPV Buys: ~500,000
🏆 Main Event: Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Alexander Volkanovski — UFC Lightweight Championship
✅ Result: Makhachev def. Volkanovski via KO (punches) — R1, 0:41
🥇 Co-Main: Khamzat Chimaev def. Kamaru Usman via UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) — Middleweight (short-notice)
The Build-Up
The original UFC 294 main event had been Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira — the logical rematch following Oliveira's UFC 289 submission win over Beneil Dariush. Oliveira was withdrawn approximately two weeks before the fight. Volkanovski — still the reigning featherweight champion — accepted the short-notice rematch on approximately 11 days' preparation.
At UFC 284 in February, Volkanovski had gone five competitive rounds with Makhachev, losing via majority decision in a result most observers scored for Volkanovski. The rematch — on 11 days' notice, in Abu Dhabi rather than Perth — was a completely different context. Makhachev was a -500 favourite.
Main Event: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2
The fight lasted 41 seconds. Volkanovski pressed forward immediately, looking to land first before Makhachev could establish his clinch control. At 0:38, Makhachev timed a clean left hook counter as Volkanovski moved in. The punch landed flush on the jaw; Volkanovski dropped to the canvas. Two follow-up ground strikes brought referee Marc Goddard in at 0:41.
The 41-second KO was attributed to Volkanovski's aggressive approach — pressing forward to avoid the decision loss pattern of UFC 284 — and Makhachev's precise counter timing. On 11 days' notice, Volkanovski could not make the camp-specific defensive adjustments needed to account for Makhachev's left hook timing.
The final Makhachev-Volkanovski series ledger: 2-0 Makhachev (majority decision + KO). The combined narrative — a disputed five-round decision in Perth and a 41-second KO in Abu Dhabi — was one of the most complete lightweight championship rivalries of the modern era.
Co-Main Event: Chimaev vs. Usman
Khamzat Chimaev dominated three rounds at middleweight. Kamaru Usman — fighting at 185 lbs on short notice, a weight class above his natural 170 lbs — was taken down multiple times per round and could not generate meaningful offense from his back. Final scorecards: 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 Chimaev. The win extended his unbeaten MMA record to 13-0.
The Whittaker-Aliskerov bout delivered the card's second major upset. Ikram Aliskerov — added to the card late — stopped Robert Whittaker via TKO at 2:29 of round two, ending Whittaker's consecutive UFC win streak and delivering the biggest win of Aliskerov's career.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Islam Makhachev (c) def. Alexander Volkanovski — KO (punches) — R1, 0:41 — Lightweight Title
Khamzat Chimaev def. Kamaru Usman — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) — Middleweight (short-notice)
Ikram Aliskerov def. Robert Whittaker — TKO (punches) — R2, 2:29 — Middleweight
Mateusz Gamrot def. Beneil Dariush — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Lightweight
Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov — TKO (punches) — R1, 4:30 — Bantamweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Muhammad Mokaev def. Cody Durden — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Flyweight
Mohammed Usman def. Jose Ochoa — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight
Victor Henry def. Javid Basharat — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Bantamweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Islam Makhachev — $50,000 for the 41-second KO of Alexander Volkanovski.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Ikram Aliskerov — $50,000 for the second-round TKO of Robert Whittaker.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Said Nurmagomedov — $50,000 for the first-round TKO of Muin Gafurov.
Records & Milestones
• Makhachev-Volkanovski series concluded 2-0 Makhachev — one disputed decision and one clean KO.
• 41-second KO — the fastest lightweight title-fight finish of 2023.
• Volkanovski fought on approximately 11 days' notice — the most short-notice featherweight champion title fight in UFC history.
• Khamzat Chimaev extended his unbeaten MMA record to 13-0, defeating a former five-time welterweight champion at middleweight.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 294 is remembered as the night the Makhachev-Volkanovski story ended decisively. The 41-second KO confirmed Makhachev's counter-striking as the most dangerous element of his game when opponents come forward, and validated his status as the undisputed #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. For Volkanovski, the KO loss was the start of a competitive decline that produced three consecutive losses in 2024.
Makhachev went on to defeat Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June 2024 (submission R5) and Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January 2025 (UD). He has remained the UFC lightweight champion and consensus #1 pound-for-pound fighter into the mid-2020s. For Alexander Volkanovski, the loss was the start of an 0-3 run — the KO loss here, followed by losing the featherweight title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 (KO R2) and a third loss to Topuria at UFC 308 (KO R3).
FAQ
Why did Volkanovski take the fight on 11 days' notice?
Competitive drive and a belief the rematch was winnable. Volkanovski had gone five competitive rounds with Makhachev in Perth and felt the UFC 284 result had been taken from him on the scorecards. Waiting for a full camp would mean potentially losing the title shot to another contender. The decision drew universal respect regardless of the result.
Was the 41-second KO a fluke?
No. It was a clean counter left hook that Makhachev had telegraphed through Volkanovski's forward movement. On 11 days' notice, camp-specific defensive adjustments against Makhachev's counter timing were incomplete. Volkanovski was moving aggressively forward and ran into a perfectly-timed punch. Short-notice conditions increase KO probability, but the punch itself was elite-level execution.
What happened to Chimaev after UFC 294?
He fought Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October 2024 (UD win), extending his unbeaten record to 14-0. He has remained one of the most feared fighters in the welterweight-middleweight range and is considered a future title challenger in both divisions.
How does UFC 294 compare to UFC 293?
UFC 294 drew approximately 500,000 PPV buys versus UFC 293 (450,000) six weeks earlier. Both were internationally-timed events that suppressed North American live PPV numbers. The historical significance of both — the Strickland upset and the Makhachev KO rematch — far exceeded their buy rates.
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