BREAKING: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman official for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, weight class revealed

Khamzat Chimaev was slated for a middleweight clash against Paulo Costa in the co-main event at UFC 294, set to take place on October 21 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The anticipation surrounding this fight turned into a swirling mist of uncertainty when 'Borrachinha' revealed that he had gone through surgery for a bursitis infection in his right elbow earlier in the month.

​

However, during a recent live broadcast on his official Instagram account, UFC CEO Dana White announced that former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman will be making the jump to the middleweight division. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' will step in on just 10 days' notice to replace Costa and square off against 'Borz'.

Check out White's announcement below:

​

Kamaru Usman has not competed since March 2023, following consecutive losses to reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards. 'Rocky' first secured a head-kick knockout victory over Usman at UFC 278, then repeated his success in their rematch at UFC 286 in March.

Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev's most recent octagon appearance was at UFC 279 in September 2022, where the 29-year-old Chenchen secured a win against Kevin Holland.

Both fighters had engaged in verbal sparring and hinted at a possible showdown in the past. However, the fight never came to fruition because Kamaru Usman had shown a preference for facing Khamzat Chimaev in the welterweight division.

​