Kody Steele will face French lightweight Noah Gugnon on October 24, 2026, at UFC 333, held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The bout was added as the 14th fight on the preliminary card, giving the 31 year old American a chance to build on his recent momentum against a quick rising newcomer who is unbeaten since signing with the promotion. Both fighters will be looking to extend their win streaks inside the Octagon.
Steele Looking to Build on a Heel Hook Finish
Steele, of Port Angeles, Washington, enters his third UFC appearance after making his promotional debut in February 2025 against Rongzhu, a bout that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus despite a unanimous decision loss. He rebounded in May 2026 with a first round heel hook submission win over Dom Mar Fan. A fight scheduled for August was later scrapped due to injury, leaving the 31 year old roughly five months removed from his last appearance by the time he steps in against Gugnon.
Steele carries an 8 and 1 professional record, with four knockouts, two submissions and two decisions. He trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas and stands 69 inches (175 centimeters) tall with a 71 inch (180 centimeter) reach.
A Contender Series Path to the Octagon
Steele earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2024, stopping Chasen Blair in the second round. Before transitioning to mixed martial arts, he built his name in jiu jitsu over eleven years, winning a combat jiu jitsu world title, a background that still shapes his approach to grappling exchanges inside the Octagon.
Looking back on how he arrived at this point, Steele has described himself simply as someone who has “always been fighting.”
Gugnon’s Quick Return After a First Round Finish
Gugnon, 25, made his UFC debut on August 1, 2026, submitting Serbia’s Milos Janicic with a rear naked choke at the 1 minute 21 second mark of the first round. The Frenchman, who trains at Bulgarian Top Team, carries a 10 and 2 record with six knockouts and four submissions, including seven first round finishes. He picked up the sport at age 15, following his older brother into training, and worked in nightclub security and e-commerce before turning to fighting full time.
Before signing with the promotion, Gugnon strung together six straight wins on the regional circuit after back to back losses in early 2023, finishing three of those fights in the opening round, among them a knockout of Ioan Harris at Ares FC. A win over Steele would give him back to back finishes to open his UFC run, in just his second appearance under the promotion’s banner.
Seven of Gugnon’s ten career wins have come in the first round, a finishing rate that stands out even in a lightweight division known for early stoppages. His submission win over Janicic marked his fourth career victory by tapout, to go with six knockouts, a split that mirrors Steele’s own mix of four knockouts and two submissions among his eight wins.
UFC 333 Card Takes Shape in Abu Dhabi
The Gugnon versus Steele addition continues to fill out the UFC 333 preliminary card ahead of the October 24 event at Etihad Arena. Fans can track the full lineup on the 2026 UFC schedule, and follow where fighters from the United States stand across the division on the American UFC fighters page, which is updated as new bouts are confirmed throughout the fall schedule.
Two Titles on the Line the Same Night
The UFC 333 main card will feature two title fights. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his belt against unbeaten number one contender Movsar Evloev, while bantamweight champion Petr Yan meets Merab Dvalishvili for a third time. Yan reclaimed the title from Dvalishvili in December 2025, after Dvalishvili had won their first meeting two years earlier. Dvalishvili has pointed to a short turnaround, saying he fought Yan only two months after facing Corey Sandhagen and had no time to rest between training camps. The card also includes Azamat Murzakanov against Dominick Reyes at light heavyweight and Alexander Volkov against Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, as well as a flyweight bout between Lone’er Kavanagh and Ramazan Temirov.
