UFC 294 Gets Surprise Main Event Backup for Makhachev vs. Oliveira

The next UFC pay-per-view card, UFC 294 is fast approaching, and as has been the case as of late, the promotion has booked a backup fighter for the title fight that serves as the main event. The headlining bout for UFC 294, which takes place on October 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, is a rematch between current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and former titleholder Charles Oliveira.

The fighter who will serve as the backup if Makhachev or Oliveira can’t make the walk on fight night is Mateusz Gamrot. Gamrot sports a 23-2-0-1 record. The 32-year-old is currently the No. 6 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings. Gamrot is coming off a September 23 TKO win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC Vegas 79. Fiziev suffered a knee injury in the second round of that contest and could not continue.

Gamrot joined the UFC in October 2020. He is currently 6-2 with the promotion and riding a two-fight winning streak. One of the more accomplished grapplers in the 155-pound weight division, Gamrot was a two-division champion for KSW before moving to the UFC. He held the lightweight and featherweight titles for the Poland-based MMA promotion.

Gamrot broke the news that he was to serve as the backup for the UFC 294 main event during an interview in his native Poland. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the news on Saturday at the UFC Vegas 80 post-fight press conference.

“Yeah, it’s true,” White said when asked if Gamrot’s announcement was factual.

Makhachev won the vacant UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 280 by submitting Oliveira in October 2022. The belt was vacant because Oliveria missed weight at UFC 274. The UFC stripped Oliveira of the title for coming in heavy for his fight against Justin Gaethje for that May 2022 scrap. Oliveira defeated Gaethje by first-round submission. He then faced Makhachev for the vacant belt in his next outing.

Makhachev’s first defense of the title came in February when he scored a hard-fought decision win over UFC lightweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovksi. Makhachev is 24-1 in his career. His only career loss came in October 2015 when Adriano Martins knocked him out in the first round of their UFC 192 scrap. Makhachev is 12-0 since that setback.

Oliveira came back from his loss to Makhachev to defeat Beneil Dariush via first-round TKO at UFC 289 in June. The stoppage was Oliveira’s record-setting 20th UFC finish. No other UFC fighter has more than 17 career finishes.

UFC 294 is an early card in the States. The ESPN+ pay-per-view card begins at 2:00 p.m. ET, following prelims on ESPN+ at 10:00 a.m. ET.