UFC 333 takes place Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card features fourteen fights, including two for a title, and follows the promotion’s recent stops in Las Vegas and Edmonton. The main event pits featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski against unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev, while the co-main event brings bantamweight champion Petr Yan back together with Merab Dvalishvili for the third time.
Alexander Volkanovski Meets Unbeaten Movsar Evloev
Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) is defending his belt for the second time since reclaiming the featherweight title. The 38-year-old Australian defended his first reign five times before losing it to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in early 2024. His resume includes two wins over Max Holloway, whom he also fought in a trilogy, one over Yair Rodriguez, one over Chan Sung Jung and two over Diego Lopes. He also twice challenged for the lightweight title without success. His game leans on striking intelligence, conditioning and sound takedown defense. Across the cage, Movsar Evloev (20-0) is getting his first title shot after wins over Arnold Allen, Aljamain Sterling, Lerone Murphy and Diego Lopes, with his last outing coming at UFC London in March. The Russian fights behind constant forward pressure and a heavy grappling game. Oddsmakers have the fight rated close to even.
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili Settle a Trilogy
The co-main event closes out a rivalry that began in 2023. Merab Dvalishvili (21-5) dominated their first meeting on the scorecards. Petr Yan (20-5) got his revenge in December 2025, also by decision, and took back the bantamweight title in that fight. The series sits tied at one win apiece heading into this third meeting. Yan relies on technical boxing and distance control, while Dvalishvili leans on wrestling and a relentless five-round pace.
Trash Talk Before Fight Night
At Thursday’s press conference at Etihad Arena, the four central figures already traded words in front of the media. Alexander Volkanovski said, “I think he’s the toughest fight for everybody in the division, just not me.” Movsar Evloev answered, “With all respect to the champ, I can do anything I want and I’ll prove it.” Petr Yan added, “Abu Dhabi for me is the best place,” while Merab Dvalishvili said, “I love Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi loves me.” UFC president Dana White hosted all four fighters on stage. The event is sold out.
What Each Title Fight Decides
A win for Movsar Evloev would make him the new featherweight champion and push his unbeaten record to 21-0. A win for Alexander Volkanovski would set up a third defense of his second reign. At bantamweight, a win for Merab Dvalishvili would hand him back the belt he lost in December, while a win for Petr Yan would cement his standing as a two-time champion. Both divisions are deep enough that neither title fight is expected to need an immediate rematch, with a line of ranked contenders already waiting for the winner. The current rankings for both weight classes are available on our UFC rankings page.
The Rest of the Card
Several notable bouts lead into the title fights. Heavyweight Alexander Volkov meets Rizvan Kuniev, American featherweight Aaron Pico takes on short-notice replacement Losene Keita, and flyweights Lone’er Kavanagh and Ramazan Temirov fight just before the co-main event. The main card also includes light heavyweight Dominick Reyes against Azamat Murzakanov, Nikita Krylov against Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, and middleweight Abus Magomedov against Cameron Rowston. French lightweight Noah Gugnon faces American Kody Steele elsewhere on the card, a matchup detailed on our American UFC fighters page.
How to Watch
UFC 333 streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, with no pay-per-view charge and no CBS simulcast required to watch any part of the card. Early prelims start at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT), prelims follow at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT), and the main card begins at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). For fans in the United Kingdom, that schedule runs 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and in Central Europe it runs 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The full schedule is available on our UFC schedule page, and results will be posted on our UFC results page as the card wraps up.
