UFC 333: Volkanovski to Defend Title Against Evloev on October 24

The UFC confirmed its October 24 card in Abu Dhabi during Saturday’s UFC 330 broadcast, with Australian superstar Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against undefeated Russian Movsar Evloev. The main event marks Volkanovski’s second title defence of his second reign. A bantamweight title trilogy between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili will co-headline the card at Etihad Arena.

Volkanovski finally faces Evloev after seven-year wait

Movsar Evloev, who holds a 20-0 professional record with 10-0 in the UFC, has pursued a title shot for over seven years. The Russian secured his shot after defeating Lerone Murphy in a majority decision in March, cementing his status as the division’s top contender.

Volkanovski, 37, holds a 28-4 record and is widely considered one of the greatest featherweights of all time. He reclaimed the belt in April 2025 by defeating Diego Lopes, then defended it again against Lopes in February. Evloev’s undefeated record and grappling prowess make him a formidable challenger to Volkanovski’s 16-month reign.

Yan and Dvalishvili settle their trilogy in Abu Dhabi

Petr Yan will defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout at UFC 333. Yan reclaimed the belt at UFC 323 by defeating Dvalishvili in what many consider one of the best performances of 2025, snapping Dvalishvili’s 14-fight win streak and avenging a 2023 loss. Yan has now won four straight fights after a career-worst three-fight skid.

Dvalishvili, who holds a 21-5 record, was coming off a layoff after successfully defending his belt three times in 2025. His seven-year unbeaten streak included victories over Jose Aldo, Sean O’Malley, Henry Cejudo, and Umar Nurmagomedov before Yan’s upset victory.

Islam Makhachev breaks Anderson Silva’s UFC record

Islam Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 on August 16, earning a 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 victory in Philadelphia. Makhachev, the sport’s top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, successfully defended his welterweight title in a five-round battle. The win broke Anderson Silva’s 14-year-old UFC record for most consecutive victories in the organisation.

UFC 333 card takes shape in Abu Dhabi

The October 24 event at Etihad Arena will feature several other main card bouts: Lone’er Kavanagh versus Ramazan Temirov, Alexander Volkov versus Rizvan Kuniev, and Arnold Allen versus Aaron Pico. Preliminary fights include Dominick Reyes versus Azamat Murzakanov, Abus Magomedov versus Cam Rowston, Nikita Krylov versus Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, and Grant Dawson versus Nurullo Aliev. All four headliners rank in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings.

Final Thoughts

UFC 333 shapes up as a blockbuster card with two title defences on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski faces his toughest featherweight challenger in years, while Yan and Dvalishvili settle their rivalry. The event marks a major test for Australian combat sports on the global stage.

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