Volkanovski defends featherweight title against unbeaten Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi

Alexander Volkanovski will defend the UFC featherweight title against the undefeated Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333, set for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 24. The promotion officially confirmed the card’s top two bouts, which together make up a double championship main event.

Volkanovski (28-4, 15-3 UFC) enters on the back of consecutive decision wins over Diego Lopes, the most recent coming on January 31. His challenger, Evloev (20-0, 10-0 UFC), has never lost as a professional and earned his title shot by stringing together ten straight victories inside the Octagon — a run that made his case impossible to ignore.

The co-feature brings Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili together for a third and decisive time, with the bantamweight title at stake. Their series is split at one apiece: Dvalishvili (21-5, 14-3 UFC) won by unanimous decision when they first met in March 2023, before Yan (20-5, 12-4 UFC) reclaimed the belt by outpointing him in their rematch last December. Both fighters are ranked among the best pound-for-pound competitors in the sport, lending the rubber match genuine title-fight weight beyond the division itself.

The wider card is shaping up to be one of the deeper events of the year. Flyweight prospects Lone’er Kavanagh and Ramazonbek Temirov are expected to meet at 125 pounds, while Alexander Volkov takes on Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight. Arnold Allen faces Bellator MMA veteran Aaron Pico at featherweight, and former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes is booked against Azamat Murzakanov at 205 pounds. Further bouts include Abus Magomedov vs. Cam Rowston at middleweight, Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev at light heavyweight, and Grant Dawson vs. Nurullo Aliev at 155 pounds.