SportsCatch
EN

Volkanovski and Yan crowned at UFC 333 as lightweight title picture shifts

Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan claimed championship gold in Abu Dhabi at UFC 333, one of the standout cards of 2026. The fallout raises questions over Arman Tsarukyan's title position, a potential Volkanovski move to lightweight, and a reshuffled UFC 336 card.

1 min read
Volkanovski and Yan crowned at UFC 333 as lightweight title picture shifts
Share

Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan left Abu Dhabi as UFC champions following outstanding performances at UFC 333, widely regarded as one of the best cards of 2026. Volkanovski’s victory has immediately sparked discussion about a move up to lightweight, where Justin Gaethje awaits, while Yan’s win has reignited debate over his place in the bantamweight all-time rankings.

The most pressing question in the lightweight division is where Arman Tsarukyan now stands in the title picture. Tsarukyan had impressed with a dominant win at RAF 14, as did Khamzat Chimaev, but Volkanovski’s commanding performance at 145 pounds — and the chatter around a potential superfight with Gaethje — complicates the queue at 155.

At UFC 336, the card has undergone a significant reshuffle. Islam Makhachev will not compete at the event, opening the door for Carlos Prates and Michael Morales to contest the interim welterweight title. Joshua Van and Manel Kape have also been added to the card, giving the event two high-profile matchups to anchor it.

Saturday’s UFC Vegas 123 card, headlined by Renato Moicano against Tom Nolan, adds further context to a busy stretch for the promotion as it navigates title implications across multiple weight classes.

Share
{# Sitewide native fullscreen interstitial — our own bet-CTA card blown up to a takeover (replaces the SDK overlay). The shared card animations + countdown load once, AFTER the interstitial markup, so the countdown script's first tick sees this card's node too (the in-read card, in
above, already exists). One include covers both surfaces. #}