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UFC 333 preview: Can anyone keep Volkanovski down? Evloev gets his chance, and Yan-Dvalishvili 3 decides the bantamweight belt

Volkanovski and Evloev are as close to even as a championship fight gets. Yan and Dvalishvili settle a series tied at one apiece. Everyone made weight.

By Andrew Weissmann · Mixed Martial Arts

Published: Friday, 23 October 2026 at 10:13 PM

Key Things to Know

UFC 333 features Alexander Volkanovski defending against Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan facing Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi.
All four title fighters made weight, with Volkanovski at 144.5 pounds and both bantamweights at 135 pounds.
Volkanovski seeks the most title-fight victories in UFC featherweight history against the undefeated 20-0 Evloev.

The Story in 60 Seconds

UFC 333 takes place on Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, featuring two championship bouts at the top of the card. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his title against undefeated challenger Movsar Evloev in the main event. Meanwhile, the co-main event features a trilogy bout for the bantamweight championship between titleholder Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili.

All four title fighters successfully made weight on Friday, with Volkanovski at 144.5 pounds, Evloev at 145, and both Yan and Dvalishvili at 135 pounds. The event also includes ranked matchups featuring flyweights Lone'er Kavanagh against Ramazan Temirov, heavyweights Alexander Volkov facing Rizvan Kuniev, and featherweights Aaron Pico taking on Losene Keita.

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