Major Fight Added To UFC 294, Bantamweight Matchup Booked for Fight Night Event
The UFC has booked a pair of pair of major fights for the promotion’s light heavyweight and bantamweight divisions, with Magomed Ankalaev set to meet Johnny Walker and Adrian Yanez scheduled to take on Jonathan Martinez.
UFC 294 didn’t even have a main event until the rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliviera was announced earlier this month, but the card scheduled for October 21 in Abu Dhabi has rapidly taken shape since then and now features an important light heavyweight bout between Ankalaev and Walker.
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Ankalaev nearly claimed the UFC’s vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 282, but his fight with Jan Błachowicz ended in a controversial split draw. Jamahal Hill went on to win the belt but recently vacated it due to injury, and now Ankalaev will have to halt Walker’s three-fight win streak in order to try and earn another shot at the title.
A fan-favorite due to his unique personality and exciting style, Walker is currently the UFC’s #6-ranked light heavyweight contender and is coming off a unanimous decision win over former title challenger Anthony Smith in May.
Adrian Yanez vs. Jonathan Martinez Booked For October 14
A sensational start to Yanez’s UFC career was spoiled by a knockout loss in his last fight, but now the 29-year-old will try to get back into the win column again Martinez at a UFC Fight Night event on October 14.
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Yanez joined the UFC off of Dana White's Contender Series in 2020 and quickly put together five wins in the promotion with an impressive four knockouts, however that momentum was halted when Rob Font finished the Texan in the first round at UFC 287.
A member of the UFC roster since 2018, Martinez struggled to string together wins through his first couple years in the promotion before kicking off his current win streak by defeating Zviad Lazishvili in 2021. “Dragon” has now won five fights in a row, with his last two wins coming against Said Nurmagomedov and longtime UFC veteran Cub Swanson.
The UFC Fight Night card on October 14 still lacks a main event and only has a handful of fights booked, with the most significant bout already scheduled outside of Yanez vs. Martinez being a featherweight matchup between Sodiq Yusuff and Edson Barboza.
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