UFC 294, one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year, is only 27 days away. It will take place inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 21, 2023. Islam Makhachev, the UFC lightweight champion, will defend his title against previous champion Charles Oliveira to headline the PPV. Makhachev won the championship in June by overcoming Oliveira with the help of his close friend and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now, as the Dagestani champion prepares for a rematch with ‘Do Bronx,’ Nurmagomedov has predicted the fight’s verdict on Instagram.
Oliveira won the slot after knocking out Beneil Dariush in the first round at UFC 289. Makhachev, meanwhile, is coming off a controversial victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. However, ‘The Eagle’ still appears to have a strong belief in Makhachev.
Khabib Nurmagomedov predicts Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2
While Makhachev struggled against Volkanovski, it wasn’t the same when he fought Oliveira. The Dagestan appeared to dominate in the first and finished the Brazilian in the second via a submission. Makhachev, according to Nurmagomedov, will do the same in the rematch.
First fights official for #UFC294 and they are HUGE!
🎟️ Tickets on sale this week!
[ @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/6w3HaO4ojN
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2023
‘The Eagle’ took to his official Instagram and posted a training video of Makhachev on stories. In the caption, Nurmagomedov wrote, “21 October and still.”
‘The Eagle’ clearly indicated in the caption that Makhachev will still be announced as the champion at UFC 294. However, while Nurmagomedov was present in Makhachev’s corner for his first title fight, he will most likely not be there for the rematch.
Nurmagomedov has retired as a coach
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from professional fighting in 2020 and became a coach for his friends and fellow teammates. He assisted Makhachev in winning the UFC belt and also boosted the careers of his fellow teammates.
However, earlier this year, the UFC Hall of Famer announced his retirement from coaching. The prime reason for this decision was that Nurmagomedov was missing out on his family due to the training and time spent in fight camp.
Therefore, it was reported that ‘The Eagle’ will most likely be not present in Makhachev’s corner for UFC 294. However, it is still not official. Moreover, Nurmagomedov often travels for business purposes in the Middle East. Thus, we might expect him to be there for his childhood friend.
