The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi once again; only this time, it’s for UFC 333. The main event sees Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski defend his UFC Featherweight Championship against undefeated Russian sensation Movsar Evloev to top a 14-card from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Volkanovski, a two-time UFC champion, has maintained a relaxed demeanor during fight week. After nearly two years of rematches against ex-champions and former title challengers, the 38-year-old finally draws what most MMA purists would classify as a fresh matchup.
Evloev, 32, has had a slow build toward UFC stardom but finally earned his shot at championship gold with a win over Lerone Murphy in England in March, earning a decision.
Volkanovski has no plans to retire just yet, having been a dominant presence in the UFC’s lighter weight divisions for the better part of seven years. Notable names include Max Holloway, Diego Lopes, Brian Ortega, Islam Makhachev, and Ilia Topuria amongst a who’s-who of names he has shared the Octagon with over the years.
Alexander Volkanovski's UFC Featherweight GOAT Status May Have Case
UFC CEO Dana White admitted Friday in an interview with KAYO Sports in Australia that Volkanovski is in a great position to be in the thick of the conversation as the greatest featherweight MMA has ever seen, much less an all-time great.
White said he would also welcome the one-off chance a potential super-fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje and Volkanovski, should Gaethje choose to remain active in the UFC next year; this would also mean the possibility of Gaethje willing to welcome Volkanovski back to lightweight for the first time since a UFC 294 loss to Makhachev in their Oct. 2023 rematch.
Before any of those scenarios can transpire, however, Volkanovski must snap Evloev’s perfect record, spanning 20 fights.
UFC Bantamweight Rivals Colide in Co-Main
The co-main event sees the long-awaited UFC bantamweight title rematch between newly-crowned two-time champion Petr Yan of Russia and Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili, as the 1-1 score will finally be settled for good.
Yan regained the belt at Dvalishvili’s expense last December at UFC 323 in Las Vegas, earning a decision win with immense forward pressure while controlling the center of the Octagon, keeping distance and utilizing his boxing to make it a long, grueling 25-minute chest match where the better gas tank won out by the end of the fight.
Whoever wins could create a logjam at 135 pounds regarding the next title fight. Ex-champion Sean O’Malley was dominant in a TKO stoppage against Aiemann Zahab in June, while Song Yadong beat Umar Nurmagomedov in August with a KO stoppage.
UFC 333 Broadcast Info & Full Card Odds
The whole card streams live on Paramount+, with the early prelims beginning at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT, the main preliminary portion begins at noon ET/9 a.m. PT, and the main card begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Only one subscription is required, with no extra cost, to watch the card.
The bout order, including DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds for every fight, is below. The card is subject to change.
Main card (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, P+)
- Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski (-110) vs. Movsar Evloev (-110), Volkanovski’s UFC featherweight title
- Co-Main Event: Petr Yan (-135) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (-+114), Yan’s UFC bantamweight title
- Lone’er Kavanagh (-118) vs. Ramazan Temirov (-102), flyweight
- Alexander Volkov (-122) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+102), heavyweight
- Aaron Pico (-155) vs. Losene Keita (+130), featherweight
Preliminary card (Start time noon ET / 9:00 a.m. PT, P+)
- Featured Prelim: Azamat Murzakanov (-205) vs. Dominick Reyes (+170), light heavyweight
- Nikita Krylov (+410) vs. Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (-550), middleweight
- Abus Magomedov (-122) vs. Cam Rowston (+102), middleweight
- Grant Dawson (-115) vs. Nurullo Aliev (-105), lightweight
Early preliminary card (Start time 10:00 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. PT, P+)
- Featured Early Prelim: Colby Thicknesse (+440) vs. Asaf Chopurov (-600), bantamweight
- Abubakar Vagaev (-162) vs. Jacob Malkoun (+136), middleweight
- Bolaji Oki (+100) vs. Daniel Santos (-120), featherweight
- Kody Steele (-155) vs. Noah Gugnon (+130), lightweight
- Iasmin Lucindo (-410) vs. Nicolle Caliari (+320), strawweight
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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