UFC 294 fight card: Have the official prelims and main card been announced for Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2?

UFC 294 will feature one of the most anticipated title fights of the year as lightweight champion Islam Makhachev takes on his predecessor Charles Oliveira to attempt the second defence of his strap. These are two of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world and fans are excited to see them go at it again.

But hold on! The UFC 294 card is not a top-heavy affair and features an exciting lineup of fights from the prelims all the way to the main event. The entire preliminary card and main card has been announced for the event and here's the summary of it.

As it is the tradition with Abu Dhabi cards, this event will feature a lot of talent from the surrounding region, most notably from Dagestan, Russia.

The co-headliner between middleweight contenders Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa has gathered a lot of steam by now and most MMA fans are aware of it. The winner of this contest is likely going to insert himself in the title picture.

A light heavyweight clash between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will also grace the main card. This fight could determine the next challenger for the light heavyweight champion that will be crowned at UFC 295 on November 11.

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UFC 294 presents great opportunities for many prospects

When the UFC puts a rising prospect on a high-profile card like this, it most likely means that they see a lot of potential in them.

UFC 294 boasts a lot of fights featuring young prospects, and flyweight Muhammed Mokaev stands out as the most prominent. He will take on former title challenger Tim Elliott in the featured prelim.

The UFC roster has representatives from many regions across the world. But a fifth of the world's population resides in India and it not previously been represented in the world's premier MMA organization until 2023.

Indian MMA fighter Anshul Jubli will make his second UFC appearance at the event. He will take on Mike Breeden in the featured bout on the early prelims. It will be fought at lightweight.

Controversial MMA prospect Sharaputdin Magomedov will make his UFC debut at the event. Undefeated with a record of 11-0, Magomedov has a fighting style that is drastically different from the wrestling-heavy approach that most Dagestani fighters are known for.

He is a striker with a kicking heavy game and has finished 10 of his 11 professional fights by knockouts, six of which came via kicks or knees. He will face Bruno Silva in the opening bout of the night.

The complete UFC 294 fight card is as follows:

Main Card

Lightweight - Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira

Middleweight - Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Light Heavyweight - Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker

Middleweight - Nassourdine Imavov vs. Ikram Aliskerov

Bantamweight - Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov

Prelims

Flyweight - Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev

Lightweight - Mohammad Yahya vs. Trevor Peek

Bantamweight - Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry

Middleweight - Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas

Early Prelims

Lightweight- Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli

Featherweight - Nathaniel Wood vs. Muhammad Naimov

Strawweight - Victoria Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey

Middleweight - Sharaputdin Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva

UFC 294 will take place on October 21, 2023 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.