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UFC 294 has experienced another change at the top of the card, with Khamzat Chimaev facing a new challenger following Paulo Costa's unavailability after undergoing elbow surgery.
Costa had surgery on his right elbow because of bursitis and was deemed unfit to go with the fight so close.
Dana White, UFC president, revealed on Wednesday that Kamaru Usman, the ex-welterweight champion, will step up to the middleweight category to compete against Chimaev on short notice. Usman promises a near $300 payout on a $100 bet with a win.
This modification to the UFC 294 co-main event transpired a day after it was announced that Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning UFC featherweight champion, has been inserted into the main event to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. This change was prompted by Charles Oliveira's withdrawal from the event due to an injury incurred during sparring.
The change in style could prove interesting. Usman and Chimaev are both wrestlers where as Costa is known as a powerful striker. This might result in a better fight according to White.
"Who knows how they'll approach it, but you have to think that with the Costa fight, Khamzat probably had to be thinking about going out and taking him down," White told Yahoo Sports. "But with Usman and his wrestling, it could actually turn into more of a stand-up war."
We have fight odds for both of the new bouts, which you can find below.
UFC 294 odds are subject to change and will be updated in real-time.
Kamaru Usman +280
Khamzat Chimaev -340
(These odds initially opened -110 each way back on May 12)
Alexander Volkanovski +205
Khamzat Chimaev -240
(These odds opened yesterday at Chimaev -200, Volkanovski +170)
- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
