Kody Steele looks to erase his UFC debut setback when he meets France’s Noah Gugnon on the early prelims of UFC 333, Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The American lightweight is coming off a bounce-back finish, while Gugnon remains unbeaten through his first appearance under the UFC banner.
Steele Looks To Build On His Comeback
Kody Steele, 31, of Port Angeles, Washington, stands 5 feet 9 inches tall (175 cm) with a 71-inch reach (180 cm) and carries an 8-1 record built on jiu-jitsu. He went 6-0 with Fury FC before landing on the Contender Series, where he stopped Chasen Blair with a body shot in the second round to earn his UFC contract. His promotional debut ended in a unanimous-decision loss to Rongzhu, before he rebounded with a first-round heel hook finish of Dom Mar Fan. A fight scheduled for August was scrapped after an injury.
An Unexpected Signing, A Perfect Finish Rate
Gugnon’s path to the UFC started in 2021: four straight wins, a two-fight skid, two regional wins in 2024, and three straight first-round finishes, including a knockout at ARES FC. Before his signing, he said he had been in talks to face Fares Ziam at UFC Paris in September, before the promotion booked Axel Sola instead. The 70-kilogram lightweight, from Spicheren, France, made his promotional debut on August 1 against fellow newcomer Milos Janicic of Montenegro, opening the main card at UFC Belgrade. He finished Janicic by first-round submission, moving to 10-2, with every one of his ten wins coming before the final bell.
A Hostile Welcome in Belgrade
Gugnon told RMC Sport Combat he felt the UFC had signed him to make his opponent shine, noting that Janicic had been invited to the open workout and he had not, and that a debutant facing a local favorite is rarely placed on the main card the way he was. During fight week, social media messages told him he would be killed, and the crowd booed him during his walkout. He said the hostility only motivated him, recalling that he told himself the crowd was not ready for what he was about to do, and that he walked into the Octagon as if he were fighting on an ARES FC card.
Gugnon Has Settled Into UFC Life Fast
After that win, Gugnon told RMC Fighter Club his social media following tripled overnight. Speaking with RMC Sport ahead of UFC 333, he said the move to the UFC has changed his life in a short span. He called the promotion more structured and bigger than anything he had known before. Strangers now recognize him on the street, new sponsors have signed on, and his paydays dwarf what he earned on the regional scene, though he says he still watches what he spends, since making a living fighting depends on staying active and healthy.
Lightweight Bout Opens the Abu Dhabi Card
The 155-pound bout opens the early prelims of UFC 333 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, streaming on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass at 10 a.m. ET and 7 a.m. PT, 3 p.m. in the United Kingdom and 4 p.m. in Central Europe. That portion of the card also features Bolaji Oki against Daniel Santos at featherweight and Iasmin Lucindo against Nicolle Caliari at women’s strawweight. The prelims follow on Paramount+ at noon ET, led by Azamat Murzakanov against Dominick Reyes and Nikita Krylov against Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev at light heavyweight.
Two Title Fights Headline the Night
The main card, starting at 2 p.m. ET, carries two title bouts: Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight belt against Movsar Evloev, and Petr Yan meets Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title. The rest of the main card features a heavyweight clash between Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev, a flyweight bout between Lone’er Kavanagh and Ramazan Temirov, and a featherweight fight between Aaron Pico and Losene Keita. Elsewhere on the prelims, Grant Dawson faces Nurullo Aliev at lightweight and Abus Magomedov meets Cam Rowston at middleweight.
Steele’s full profile sits alongside the promotion’s other American fighters on the site, and the complete 2026 schedule, with dates and fight cards for upcoming events, is available on the season’s dedicated page.
