Alexander Volkanovski makes weight for UFC 294 title fight, drops over 26lbs on just 11 days’ notice

Officially slated to fight for undisputed lightweight gold this weekend at UFC 294, incumbent featherweight champion and pound-for-pound kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski has made weight for his rematch with rival, Islam Makhachev – shifting over 26 pounds to reach championship weight for the clash.

Volkanovski, the current undisputed featherweight champion and pound-for-pound number one, will headline UFC 294 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE – on just 11 days’ notice, rematching Makhachev after the duo shared the Octagon back in February, dropping a unanimous decision loss to the Russian.

Attempting to avenge his sole promotional loss in his rematch with Makhachev, Volkanovski replaces former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, after the Brazilian was forced from the bout due to a nasty laceration on his right eyebrow suffered in the last round of sparring ahead of UFC 294. 

In the time since his February lightweight title siege loss to Makhachev, New South Wales native, Alexander Volkanovski successfully unified the featherweight championships with a TKO win over former interim champion, Yair Rodríguez at UFC 290 back in July. 

Alexander Volkanovski makes weight for UFC 294 title rematch

And landing on the scales this morning in the Middle East, Joe Lopez-trainee, Volkanovski successfully weighed in at 154.5lbs for the lightweight title fight against Makhachev – shifting an apparent 26.5lbs for his title rematch. For the incumbent gold holder, Makhachev, the defending champion also hit championship weight successfully, coming in at 155lbs. 

In the event’s co-headliner, former undisputed welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound chart topper, Kamaru Usman also successfully made weight for his middleweight divisional bow – landing at 184.5lbs for his first Octagon walk since March of this year.

As for his opponent, Usman takes on undefeated finisher, Khamzat Chimaev – who put prior seven and a half pound weight miss blues behind him ahead of UFC 294 – coming in at 185.5lbs for his middleweight division return in the Middle East this weekend. 

Can Alexander Volkanovski avenge his title loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294?