UFC 333: Volkanovski stops unbeaten Evloev in round two to keep featherweight title; Yan beats Dvalishvili in trilogy

Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight championship at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, stopping previously unbeaten challenger Movsar Evloev by TKO (punches) at 4:54 of the second round at Etihad Arena. The main card began at 6pm GMT Saturday 24 October.

In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Petr Yan defended his title against former champion Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the trilogy bout 48-47.

Main event: Volkanovski vs Evloev

Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Movsar Evloev, TKO (punches), round 2, 4:54. Referee: Marc Goddard (MMA Junkie).

The build-up. Volkanovski, 38, entered at 28-4 (15-3 UFC) as a two-time featherweight champion. Evloev, 32, was 20-0 (10-0 UFC) and ranked No. 2 at featherweight, with 52 takedowns landed over his 10 UFC appearances, according to MMA Junkie. Volkanovski came in off consecutive title-fight wins over Diego Lopes, MMA Fighting reported.

Fight week centred on whether the bout would go the distance. Evloev told MMA Junkie he wanted to dominate over five rounds and would not mind a decision. Volkanovski responded at a fan event in Dubai: “I’m saying I’ll finish him inside the five rounds for sure” (MMA Junkie). At media day he called Evloev’s wrestling “incredible” but added: “it’s just not enough for me” (MMA Fighting).

Round 1. Volkanovski opened with inside leg kicks and a jab-right hand combination. Evloev completed a takedown, but Volkanovski returned to his feet immediately, and got up again from a second attempt. Evloev landed a strike as they broke apart. In the final minute Volkanovski pressed Evloev against the fence and landed a right hand. MMA Junkie scored the round 10-9 Volkanovski; UFC.com wrote that Evloev “had success in the opening round”.

Round 2. Both men traded leg kicks and jabs. Evloev attempted a throw, which Volkanovski reversed to land on top before the fight returned to the feet. Volkanovski then landed a series of right hands and a left. According to UFC.com, a clean right hand made Evloev turn away as he backed out; Volkanovski followed him, put him on the canvas with strikes and finished him with ground strikes, 6 seconds before the end of the round.

What it means. The loss is Evloev’s first as a professional; he moves to 20-1 and Volkanovski to 29-4. UFC.com reported that the win moved Volkanovski ahead of Jose Aldo for the most title-fight wins in featherweight history.

Before the fight Volkanovski repeatedly raised a possible lightweight “super fight” with champion Justin Gaethje as a career send-off. UFC CEO Dana White told Main Event Australia before the event that what came next “all depends on how tomorrow goes” (Fox Sports Australia). No next opponent had been announced at the time of publication.

Co-main event: Yan vs Dvalishvili

Result: Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili, unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47). Referee: Jason Herzog.

The bout completed a trilogy: Dvalishvili won their first meeting in 2023, and Yan took the title from him at UFC 323 in December 2025 (MMA Fighting). Dvalishvili set a high pace in the first two rounds with repeated takedown attempts, landing several, though Yan returned to his feet each time. Yan found his range in the third round with combinations and body shots, and controlled the fourth and fifth on the feet, including a flying knee in the final round, according to MMA Junkie’s round-by-round coverage, which also scored the fight 48-47 for Yan. Yan moves to 21-5 and Dvalishvili to 21-6.

Every main card result

Bout	Winner	Method	Round	Time
Featherweight title	Alexander Volkanovski def. Movsar Evloev	TKO (punches)	2	4:54
Bantamweight title	Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili	Unanimous decision (48-47 x3)	5	5:00
Flyweight	Lone’er Kavanagh def. Ramazan Temirov	TKO (punches)	1	4:28
Heavyweight	Alexander Volkov def. Rizvan Kuniev	Unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)	3	5:00
Featherweight	Aaron Pico def. Losene Keita	TKO (punches)	1	1:14

• Kavanagh absorbed several heavy hooks from Temirov before landing a counter uppercut late in the first round that dropped him, UFC.com and MMA Junkie reported.
• Volkov controlled Kuniev in the clinch and with kicks, and spent the last 90 seconds on Kuniev’s back hunting for a submission. UFC.com said the win, on his 38th birthday, extends his winning streak to three; MMA Junkie reported that he asked Dana White for a title shot.
• Pico landed an early takedown, then dropped Keita with a right hand and finished with ground strikes: his first finish in the UFC.

Preliminary card results

Bout	Winner	Method	Round	Time
Light heavyweight	Dominick Reyes def. Azamat Murzakanov	KO (head kick and strikes)	1	2:40
Light heavyweight	Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Nikita Krylov	TKO (knee and punches)	1	2:38
Middleweight	Abus Magomedov def. Cam Rowston	Submission (guillotine choke)	1	1:44
Lightweight	Grant Dawson def. Nurullo Aliev	Unanimous decision (29-27 x3)	3	5:00
Bantamweight	Colby Thicknesse def. Asaf Chopurov	Split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)	3	5:00
Middleweight	Abubakar Vagaev def. Jacob Malkoun	Unanimous decision (29-28 x3)	3	5:00
Featherweight	Daniel Santos def. Bolaji Oki	Unanimous decision (29-28 x3)	3	5:00
Lightweight	Kody Steele def. Noah Gugnon	KO (punch)	1	3:54
Women’s strawweight	Iasmin Lucindo def. Nicolle Caliari	Unanimous decision (30-27 x3)	3	5:00

Yakhyaev stayed unbeaten at 11-0. Aliev had a point deducted in the first round for strikes to the back of the head, MMA Junkie reported.

Post-fight bonuses had not been officially confirmed at the time of publication.