UFC 333 got underway Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, building toward a pair of title fights pitting Alexander Volkanovski against Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili. The first four preliminary bouts are already in the books, with three decisions and one quick finish, before the two title fights wrap up a night built around a double championship main card.
Lucindo Shuts Out a Caliari Who Missed Weight
Nicolle Caliari missed weight by nearly five pounds for her matchup with Iasmin Lucindo, pushing the bout to a 120.5-pound (54.6 kg) catchweight with no title implications. Lucindo controlled every round and won by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-27. The Brazilian, a Fortaleza native who now trains out of Feira de Santana, builds on a win over Angela Hill last August, after a decision loss to Amanda Lemos earlier in 2025.
Steele Bounces Back From His Contender Series Debut Loss
Kody Steele needed less than four minutes to finish Noah Gugnon, stopping him with punches at the 3:54 mark of round one. The former Port Angeles, Washington wrestler turned pro with a 6-0 record before entering the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, then lost his promotional debut to Zhu Rong in February 2025 in a slugfest that drew heavy coverage at the time. The stoppage over Gugnon is his first win under the UFC banner, after he spent months discussing that opening loss in American outlets.
Santos Dedicates Win to Late Training Partner
Daniel Santos outpointed Bolaji Oki by unanimous decision, all three cards reading 29-28 after a full three rounds. Santos nearly finished the fight in the first round with a guillotine choke before Oki scrambled free, took top position, and landed hammer fists of his own. Santos regained momentum in round two by kicking out Oki’s base for a takedown, and both men traded hard in the final minute of the third round. After the result was announced, Santos dedicated the win to his late friend and training partner, Allan Nascimento, without detailing the circumstances of his death.
Vagaev Outlasts a Resilient Malkoun
Abubakar Vagaev outlasted Jacob Malkoun on the same card, also by unanimous decision and an identical 29-28 across the board. Vagaev mixed right hands with repeated takedowns over three rounds, at one point pulling back a knee that might have been ruled illegal, while Malkoun answered with a persistent jab and kept getting back to his feet. Vagaev also took Malkoun’s back and pressed him against the fence in round two before scoring another takedown. Malkoun appeared to favor his shoulder after round one, though the extent of any injury was not specified, and he stuffed several of Vagaev’s takedown attempts in the final round.
Two Titles Headline the Card: Start Times and How to Watch
The main card is headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his belt against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev, who carries a 20-0 record into the fight. Volkanovski reclaimed the title from Diego Lopes before defending it against the same opponent in February, making Evloev his second challenger since getting the belt back. Petr Yan follows by putting his bantamweight title on the line against Merab Dvalishvili, whom he already beat to reclaim the belt at UFC 323 in December 2025. Yan then underwent a nine-hour back surgery to repair damaged lumbar discs, and training footage of him did not resurface until August, making this his first title defense since the operation, against a Dvalishvili who made headlines for flattening a cameraman during open workouts earlier in the week. The lineup also includes Alexander Volkov against Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, and a featherweight bout between the American Aaron Pico and Losene Keita, who was added as a late replacement after Arnold Allen withdrew. Keita’s path to Abu Dhabi has drawn its own attention this week, with reporting on his journey from prison time to a UFC fight against a wrestler of Pico’s caliber.
Early prelims began at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT), which was 3 p.m. in the United Kingdom and 4 p.m. in central Europe. The main card is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT, 7 p.m. in the UK, 8 p.m. in central Europe), streaming on Paramount+ in the United States. The site tracks the latest UFC rankings and UFC results throughout the night, along with the UFC schedule for 2026 and the roster of American UFC fighters.
