In a shocking turn of events, Charles Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) sustained a severe laceration that led to his withdrawal from the UFC 294 main event against Islam Makhachev. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Alexander Volkanovski stepped in as a replacement. Oliveira took to social media to share images of the gruesome cut, accompanied by a brief apology video sporting a bandage on his left brow.

White revealed that the laceration occurred on the eve of Oliveira's scheduled flight to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi for his October 21 title rematch with Makhachev. It was noted that Oliveira's team attempted to address the issue through their own connections rather than seeking the UFC's medical expertise. White suggested that reaching out to the UFC could have resulted in a better solution, stating, "They didn't call us. We would've had him go to a plastic surgeon. They would've sewed it from the inside-out... These guys never call us like they should when something happens. They call us after they get it stitched up."

In an exciting matchup, experienced strawweight fighters Gillian Robertson and Polyana Viana are slated to go head-to-head at UFC 297. Robertson confirmed this bout on social media, and an additional source knowledgeable about the booking verified it to MMA Fighting.

Both fighters are coming off recent setbacks. Robertson faced a decision loss to Tabatha Ricci at UFC on ABC 5, sending her back to the drawing board after a return to strawweight and an armbar victory over Piera Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Viana suffered an arm-triangle submission loss to Iasmin Lucindo, which came after her knockout win over Jinh Yu Frey in her previous outing.

Robertson and Viana hold UFC records of 9-6 and 4-5, respectively.

The UFC 297 headliner is expected to feature a featherweight title showdown between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

No respite in sight for the exhausted... particularly when a mischievous caller disrupts their sleep at all hours.

UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa is pushing through rigorous training for the upcoming UFC 294 pay-per-view event, all while recuperating from elbow surgery. However, his preparations are marred by an individual affiliated with Khamzat Chimaev's camp, determined to make his journey as challenging as possible.

Coach Eric Albarracin, in a recent interview with The MMA Hour, expressed his concerns about the heightened tension between the two fighters. Their hostile history traces back to an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas before UFC 279, a feud that escalated on social media in the ensuing months.

In Albarracin's words, "After that happened, people started calling us in the middle of the night, waking us up. So, there’s just been some sabotaging going on on his end, trying to keep us with the jet lag."

Bobby Green caused a major upset at UFC Fight Night 229 by knocking out Grant Dawson in the first round. Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) displayed confidence throughout the lightweight headliner at the UFC Apex. He dropped Dawson (20-2-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) with a left hand early in the contest and forced referee Keith Peterson to step in just 33 seconds into the fight.

Green, coming off a submission win over Tony Ferguson in August, secured back-to-back victories in the lightweight division, ending Dawson's perfect record in the UFC. Green refrained from making specific callouts post-fight and expressed his desire to stay active in the octagon.

At UFC Vegas 80, the fight between Philipe Lins and Ion Cutelaba was unexpectedly removed from the event. Lins fell ill on the day of the fight, despite efforts by medical professionals to salvage the matchup. The announcement of the cancellation was made during the UFC Vegas 80 broadcast, with initial reports coming from John Morgan on Twitter.

This marks the third occasion where Lins has been involved in a fight cancellation on short notice. The first instance occurred in 2021 when Lins withdrew from a heavyweight bout against Ben Rothwell just before the weigh-ins. In 2022, Lins' fight with Maxim Grishin was also scrapped during the broadcast at the UFC APEX.

Grant Dawson Sympathizes with Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.

Grant Dawson, an emerging name in the MMA world, acknowledges the delicate balance between friendship and competition within the sport. While he hasn't faced the same level of pressure as his teammates Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili, who have refrained from fighting each other due to their close bond, Dawson foresees potential challenges ahead.

Currently training with five American Top Team (ATT) gymmates in the UFC's top 15 lightweight rankings, Dawson recognizes the privilege of being surrounded by elite fighters. However, this scenario also raises the prospect of future conflicts when it comes to choosing opponents.