The Makhachev vs Volkanovski live stream is about to begin, and it's the UFC rematch many have been hoping for.
► Date and Time: Saturday (Oct. 21)
► UFC 294 main card: Starts at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT / 7 p.m. BST / 5 a.m. AEDT
(Prelims begin at 10 a.m. ET)
► UFC 294 ringwalks: Estimated for 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. BST / 7 a.m. AEDT — but they could go on earlier.
• Watch in the US — ESPN Plus PPV
• Watch in the UK — TNT Sports
Back at UFC 284 in February, the pair fought five gruelling rounds before Makhachev's hand was raised in victory by a unanimous points decision. A rematch was always going to be in the offing, although who could have predicted it would come around so soon?
With a winning streak stretching back over eight years, the champ will enter the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi as favorite to retain his strap once again. The Sambo master is always going to be a handful on the canvas, but he surprised Volkanovski with the strength of his striking first time around. If it was in any doubt, it demonstrated that the Russian is a multifaceted martial artist who'll leave his opponent with nowhere to hide in the Octagon.
Aussie Alexander 'the Great' Volkanovski held his own (and then some) after stepping up from his usual Featherweight in the first encounter with Makhachev. Dispelling any notion that he would be dominated by the heavier man was put to rest in 25 minutes that Volkanovski described as '"fun" immediately afterwards.
Saturday's bout gives the reigning Featherweight champion another golden opportunity to join the pantheon of greats who have held simultaneous UFC titles in different weight classes. Only Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo have previously managed that feat. Will the Australian join them this weekend?
Here's everything you need to know about UFC 294 live streams:
UFC 294 live streams: Get the PPV and a whole year of ESPN Plus
You're going to need ESPN Plus to watch UFC 294 live streams — and all the upcoming numbered UFC PPVs — so let's talk about the best deal to make this happen.
You can get UFC 294 plus a year of ESPN Plus for $134.98, which is a saving of $55 (ESPN Plus usually costs $109.99 per year and UFC PPVs are currently $79.99).
Unlike a lot of other UFC PPV events, ESPN Plus is your ticket to all the action. None of the prelims or main card are being shown on regular ESPN, ABC or the UFC Fight Pass in the U.S..
Just don't forget that the start times are different from usual because this one is being held in the Middle East. Prelims are scheduled to start at 10 a.m ET / 7 a.m. PT, with the main card following at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT.
How to watch UFC 294 in the UK and Australia
Because of the location of UFC 294, the live stream times are different to normal in the U.K. and Down Under.
In the U.K., the main card is set to start at 7 p.m. BST, with Makhachev and Volkanovski going on at around 9 p.m. BST. It'll be live on TNT Sports - formerly BT Sport — which you can get through through Sky, BT, EE or Virgin Media or by subscribing to the Discovery Plus Premium plan a combo rolling subscription for £29.99 per month that allows fans to access TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment all in one place.
In Australia, UFC 294's main card will be live from Sunday from 5 a.m. AEDT Sunday on Kayo or Foxtel Main Event, where it costs AU$59.95. Expect to Alexander the Great to head to the Octagon at around 7 a.m..
How to watch UFC 294 live streams in Canada
For MMA fans north of the border the prelims are on TSN, with UFC 294's main card available on various PPV providers, including BELL, Rogers and Shaw.
UFC 294 fight card
Prelims (10 a.m. ET) on ESPN Plus PPV
- Shara Magomedov vs Bruno Silva – Middleweight
- Victoria Dudakova vs Jinh Yu Frey – Women's Strawweight
- Nathaniel Wood vs Muhammad Naimov – Featherweight
- Mike Breeden vs Anshul Jubli – Lightweight
- Abu Azaitar vs Sedriques Dumas – Middleweight
- Javid Basharat vs Victor Henry – Bantamweight
- Mohammad Yahya vs Trevor Peek – Lightweight
- Tim Elliott vs Muhammad Mokaev – Flyweight
Main Card (2 p.m. ET) on ESPN Plus PPV
- Said Nurmagomedov vs Muin Gafurov – Bantamweight
- Ikram Aliskerov vs Warlley Alves – Middleweight
- Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker – Light Heavyweight
- Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev – UFC Middleweight title eliminator
- Islam Makhachev (c) vs Alexander Volkanovski – UFC Lightweight Championship
