Unbeaten Movsar Evloev challenges Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 333 on Saturday, and Petr Yan meets Merab Dvalishvili for a third time at bantamweight.
UFC 333 takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Oct. 24, according to UFC.com. The promotion announced the event with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Gulf News reported.
The card also has a late change. UFC.com lists Aaron Pico against Losene Keita of Belgium, who replaced Arnold Allen on short notice, according to The National. The National does not say why Allen withdrew.
UFC 333 featherweight title: Volkanovski against Evloev
UFC.com lists Volkanovski as champion and Evloev as the No. 1 contender. Volkanovski is 28-4, according to The National and Cageside Press, and Evloev is 20-0, according to Arab News.
Volkanovski is 37, Khaleej Times reported. He is in his second reign as featherweight champion, Cageside Press reported. He regained the title by beating Diego Lopes at UFC 314, then beat Lopes again at UFC 325.
Evloev earned the shot with a March decision win over Lerone Murphy, Cageside Press reported. Khaleej Times said it was a majority decision in London. The National calls that result contentious. His other notable wins include Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen and Lopes, Khaleej Times said.
Volkanovski said, as quoted by Arab News: “I truly do believe I can get the finish in this fight.”
Evloev said, as quoted by Arab News: “I was waiting for this all my life.”
Yan and Dvalishvili, one win each
Yan, the champion at 20-5, faces Dvalishvili, 21-5, for a third time, according to The National. The series is 1-1, Cageside Press reported.
Dvalishvili won the first fight by unanimous decision in 2023, Arab News reported. Yan won the rematch by decision at UFC 323 in December 2025 and regained the title, Khaleej Times said.
Before he lost to Yan, Dvalishvili made three title defenses, which tied the promotion record, according to Cageside Press.
Dvalishvili called Yan “the most dangerous guy in my weight class right now,” Arab News reported. Yan said: “What we’ll expect is a fiery, exciting fight.”
The card
UFC.com lists 14 bouts. The table shows them as UFC.com groups them. The National describes Volkov against Kuniev as rounding out the main card.
| Segment | Bout | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Main card | Volkanovski vs Evloev | Featherweight title |
| Main card | Yan vs Dvalishvili | Bantamweight title |
| Main card | Kavanagh vs Temirov | Flyweight, No. 6 vs No. 10 |
| Main card | Volkov vs Kuniev | Heavyweight, No. 2 vs No. 7 |
| Main card | Pico vs Keita | Featherweight |
| Prelims | Murzakanov vs Reyes | Light heavyweight, No. 7 vs No. 8 |
| Prelims | Krylov vs Yakhyaev | Light heavyweight |
| Prelims | Magomedov vs Rowston | Middleweight |
| Prelims | Dawson vs Aliev | Lightweight |
| Early prelims | Thicknesse vs Chopurov | Bantamweight |
| Early prelims | Vagaev vs Malkoun | Middleweight |
| Early prelims | Oki vs Santos | Featherweight |
| Early prelims | Steele vs Gugnon | Lightweight |
| Early prelims | Lucindo vs Caliari | Women’s strawweight |
one rematch, one first meeting
The two title fights ask opposite questions. Yan and Dvalishvili have each won once in two fights, so both know the other well. Evloev has not fought for a UFC title before, Arab News reported.
The two featherweights share one opponent. Volkanovski beat Lopes twice, and Khaleej Times lists Lopes among Evloev’s notable wins.
The card has a second link. Allen, another name on Evloev’s list of wins, was due to fight Pico until the late change.
Start times and fight week
UFC.com gives these start times for Saturday, Oct. 24: early prelims at 10 a.m. EDT, prelims at noon EDT and the main card at 2 p.m. EDT. The National lists the preliminary card from around 6 p.m. UAE time and the main card from around 10 p.m. Readers in East Africa should convert from these times.
The National also lists fight-week events in UAE local time. Public ceremonial weigh-ins run on Friday, Oct. 23, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Etihad Arena. The fights are live in the UAE on Starzplay, it said.
What happens next
Friday, Oct. 23, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. UAE time: public ceremonial weigh-ins at Etihad Arena (The National). Saturday, Oct. 24: early prelims 10 a.m. EDT, prelims noon EDT, main card 2 p.m. EDT (UFC.com).
More weekend sport: read our preview of PSG’s home scoring run against Barcelona’s Champions League games without a clean sheet, and the team news as Bayern face Arsenal.
