UFC 333 takes place this Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, headlined by two title fights featuring Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan. Volkanovski defends his featherweight championship against undefeated Russian challenger Movsar Evloev, while Yan faces former champ Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight trilogy bout.
Volkanovski, 38, reclaimed the vacant 145-pound title in April 2025 by defeating Diego Lopes and successfully defended it in a rematch earlier this year. His undefeated opponent, Evloev, holds a 20-0 record and earned his shot after beating Lerone Murphy in March. The main event betting odds list both fighters evenly at -110.
The co-main event brings the bantamweight rivalry back to the Octagon for a third time. Dvalishvili dominated their first encounter in 2023, but Yan evened the score with a win at UFC 323 last December to regain the 135-pound belt. Yan is the betting favorite at -175, while Dvalishvili is the underdog at +145.
UFC 333 starts unusually early, with the early prelims beginning at 10 a.m. ET, followed by another preliminary card at noon, and the main card kicking off at 2 p.m. ET. All fights stream live on Paramount+ at no extra cost for subscribers in the US.
Beyond the championship bouts, UFC 333 includes several fights with ranked contenders. Flyweight Lone'er Kavanagh aims to rebound from a submission loss when he faces Ramazan Temirov, who comes off a first-round knockout in July. Heavyweights Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev meet in a Russian heavyweight clash. Aaron Pico, a former Bellator fighter, returns in a featherweight bout against Losene Keita.
The prelims also feature a light heavyweight fight between Azamat Murzakanov and former two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes. Murzakanov holds a 16-1 record, while Reyes is 16-5.
The main card line-up at 2 p.m. ET on Paramount+ includes Volkanovski vs. Evloev for featherweight gold, Yan vs. Dvalishvili for bantamweight gold, Kavanagh vs. Temirov at flyweight, Volkov vs. Kuniev at heavyweight, and Pico vs. Keita at featherweight.
The 12 p.m. ET prelims on Paramount+ feature Murzakanov vs. Reyes, Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev in light heavyweight, Abus Magomedov vs. Cam Rowston in middleweight, and Grant Dawson vs. Nurullo Aliev in lightweight.
Early prelims start at 10 a.m. ET on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass with Colby Thicknesse vs. Asaf Chopurov in bantamweight, Abubakar Vagaev vs. Jacob Malkoun in middleweight, Bolaji Oki vs. Daniel Santos in featherweight, Kody Steele vs. Noah Gugnon in lightweight, and Iasmin Lucindo vs. Nicolle Caliari in women’s strawweight.
The early start time and stacked card set UFC 333 apart as a major event in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Fans can stream every fight live on Paramount+ starting from 10 a.m. ET.
According to Yahoo Sports.
