Alexander Volkanovski | Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski are throwing down again, probably sooner than most expected.

UFC CEO Dana White announced Tuesday evening that featherweight champion Volkanovski has agreed to step in on 11 days’ notice for Charles Oliveira to fight lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 294, which takes place Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi.

This is the second meeting between the two titleholders in less than 12 months. Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight belt against Volkanovski via unanimous decision in a tightly contested fight that headlined UFC 284 this past February.

Unsurprisingly, the MMA world was buzzing about the breaking news, with several fighters praising Volkanovski for accepting such a difficult fight on short notice.

Lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov also weighed in on the news, boasting that his longtime friend and teammate Makhachev is more than ready to beat Volkanovski again.

“Islam is the world champion right now,” Nurmagomedov said. “If somebody can make 155 and the UFC says this guy is the contender, who cares? Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter who. If King Kong can make 155, OK bring this guy here, it doesn’t matter. … Volk, Charles, Poirier, Justin [Gaethje], it doesn’t matter. It’s supposed to be Charles? OK, he pull out, but we already beat him and we don’t care about this.

“But if they want Volk again, first fight it was very good, very competitive, but we know and their team knows we won. Unanimous decision, it was not even a split decision. It was a unanimous decision. Volk was looking good in that fight, but he lost. He knows, his team knows, and the whole world knows he lost. They want to bring him, OK bring him, we’re here. Islam is almost on weight, on point, he’s ready to go, we have five more hard days for training and we’re ready for Abu Dhabi. So let’s go.”

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