Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski predicts a wild finish against unbeaten Movsar Evloev at UFC 333, as Yan and Dvalishvili trade warnings.
Volkanovski Predicts a Wild Finish Against Evloev
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (28-4), who fights at 145 pounds (66 kilograms), defends his title on October 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi against Russia’s Movsar Evloev, unbeaten in 20 professional fights and 10-0 in the UFC, all by decision. Volkanovski first won the belt in 2019 over Max Holloway, made five defenses in that reign, then lost it to Ilia Topuria by knockout in 2024. He reclaimed the title in 2025 against Diego Lopes and retained it this past January in a rematch with the same opponent.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Volkanovski said he does not see Evloev out-wrestling him over five rounds. “Trying to outgrapple me for 25 minutes, I can’t see it,” he said. He predicted a quick finish instead, saying, “I think I can do it in pretty wild fashion,” before adding, “I believe I can do it inside five.” He suggested fans watching might come away asking whether they just saw the best version of him yet, after six successful title defenses across his two reigns.
Volkanovski has previously framed his gameplan around beating the UFC’s current crop of dominant wrestlers. Speaking in March, he described the sport’s “new era” of wrestlers and grapplers as “quite dominant,” adding that few fighters know how to handle them. He pointed to his fight with Islam Makhachev, where he was expected to be controlled on the ground and wasn’t, and vowed to stay on his feet against any wrestler: “There ain’t going to be nothing that someone who wants to wrestle can do about that.”
Evloev Defends His Decision-Heavy Style
Evloev built his unbeaten run on wrestling, picking up his 20th win in March in London against Lerone Murphy. Criticized for a style some call overly cautious, the Russian defended his approach to MMA Fighting. “I have zero finishes in UFC, but I’m still in the UFC and I’m fighting for the title,” he said, adding, “There are not just fans of MMA who just wait for blood.” He made the comments after Michael Page and Farid Basharat both recently left the promotion despite winning streaks, though a lack of finishes has not been established as the reason for either release. Evloev said knowledgeable fans have always backed him, pushing back on the boring label attached to his style.
Yan and Dvalishvili Ramp Up the Trash Talk Before Trilogy
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Petr Yan (20-5), who fights at 135 pounds (61 kilograms), defends his belt against Merab Dvalishvili (21-5), whom he beat by decision on December 6, 2025, to reclaim the title. The two meet for a third time. In a message relayed by the account SmeshTalk, Yan acknowledged Dvalishvili’s resume while claiming clear superiority, saying the Georgian “beat everybody in the division,” but adding that he has “already beaten him” and vowing to “do it again.”
Dvalishvili, for his part, joked about his path to victory when asked how he plans to win. “There are three ways to win: knockout, submission, or decision,” he said, before adding, “I’m a decision machine.” Sixteen of his 21 career wins have come by decision, with his only two UFC finishes dating back to an earlier title reign, a TKO of Marlon Moraes and a submission during a title defense.
A New York Training Base for a Georgian Champion
Dvalishvili, born in Tbilisi, Georgia, trains out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team on Long Island, New York, the same gym that has produced former champions Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling. The connection gives American fans a rooting interest in a bantamweight title picture otherwise built around two fighters from outside the United States. Serra-Longo has also developed former lightweight contender Al Iaquinta and a deep roster of regional prospects built around wrestling-heavy training camps.
UFC 333 Set for October 24 in Abu Dhabi
UFC 333 puts two belts on the line at Etihad Arena, a venue that hosted the promotion’s pandemic-era “Fight Island” cards. The event streams on Paramount+ in the United States. Fans can track both divisions on the UFC rankings page and the UFC schedule 2026 page, with results posted the day after the event on the UFC results page. Between Volkanovski’s pursuit of a statement finish and the Yan-Dvalishvili rubber match, the card offers a direct contrast in styles atop two of the promotion’s deepest divisions.
