UFC 333 Recap and Video Highlights: Alexander Volkanovski Stops Movsar Evloev, Petr Yan Beats Merab Dvalishvili, Full Card Results, Post-Fight Press Conference and Social Media Reaction
By Real Combat Media MMA Editorial Staff
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, (October 24th, 2026)–Alexander Volkanovski stopped previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev with punches at 4:54 of the second round in the UFC 333 main event at Etihad Arena, retaining the featherweight title and handing Evloev the first loss of his professional career. In the co-main event, Petr Yan won a unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili (48-47 on all three scorecards) to retain the bantamweight title and take their trilogy 2-1. The card produced seven finishes in 14 bouts, including statement stoppages from Lone’er Kavanagh, Aaron Pico, Dominick Reyes and Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev.
Main Event Breakdown: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev
Evloev entered 20-0 with the wrestling to test the 38-year-old champion, and he did take Volkanovski down three times in the opening round. Each time the champion was quickly back to his feet, and Volkanovski’s pressure shut down the challenger’s grappling. In the second round, Volkanovski reversed a takedown into top position, rocked Evloev standing with a left hook and followed with heavy right hands and a brutal combination. Evloev turned away and retreated to his back, and Volkanovski finished with ground and pound as referee Marc Goddard stepped in at 4:54.
The win improved Volkanovski to 29-4 and was his ninth victory in UFC featherweight title fights, passing Jose Aldo for the most in division history. It was also his first finish since his 2023 win over Yair Rodriguez. He promised his wife Emma an early night as a belated anniversary present, and he delivered. Evloev falls to 20-1.
Co-Main Event Breakdown: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Dvalishvili won the first two rounds on all three scorecards behind nonstop wrestling, finishing with five takedowns on 58 attempts over the 25 minutes. Yan stayed patient, kept getting back to his feet and changed the fight in the third round with a body kick to the liver. From there he defended nearly everything Dvalishvili threw at his hips, mixed combinations to the head and body, and took rounds three, four and five on every card for the 48-47 decision.
Yan (21-5) earned the first successful defense of his belt and a 2-1 edge in the trilogy, while Dvalishvili falls to 21-6. Both men earned $100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.
Main Card Highlights
Lone’er Kavanagh def. Ramazonbek Temirov: Kavanagh turned a tactical opening into the finish of the night, dazing Temirov with a short left uppercut and swarming with punches until referee Mike Beltran stepped in at 4:28 of the first round. The English flyweight (now 11-2) earned a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus and called for a title shot against the winner of Van vs. Kape.
Alexander Volkov def. Rizvan Kuniev: Volkov won a unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) on his 38th birthday, working the jab and a steady diet of low kicks and body kicks for his 41st career win and third straight victory. He again asked for a title shot, and Dana White said it was a good performance and that the UFC will see what happens next, with champion Ciryl Gane facing Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on November 14.
Aaron Pico def. Losene Keita: Pico opened the main card with a 74-second stoppage, taking Keita down early, dropping him with a right hand and finishing with punches on the ground. It was the first stoppage loss of Keita’s career.
Undercard Highlights
Dominick Reyes def. Azamat Murzakanov: Reyes staggered Murzakanov with a head kick, put him down with a left hand and finished with punches at 2:40 of the first round.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Nikita Krylov: The unbeaten light heavyweight landed a knee to the side of the head and followed with punches for the first-round TKO at 2:38.
Abus Magomedov def. Cam Rowston: Rowston dove into a takedown attempt and Magomedov bit down on a guillotine, held it through a series of scrambles and forced the finish at 1:44 of the first round.
Grant Dawson def. Nurullo Aliev: Dawson handed the previously unbeaten Aliev his first professional loss by unanimous decision (29-27 on all three cards). Aliev dropped Dawson in the first round but lost a point for strikes to the back of the head, and Dawson controlled the final two rounds with takedowns and ground and pound.
Colby Thicknesse def. Asaf Chopurov: Thicknesse took a split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) in a clinch-heavy fight, spoiling the unbeaten Chopurov’s UFC debut.
Abubakar Vagaev def. Jacob Malkoun: Vagaev won a tight, jab-heavy fight by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards).
Daniel Santos def. Bolaji Oki: Santos took a unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) in an entertaining featherweight fight.
Kody Steele def. Noah Gugnon: Steele stepped into a right hand, dropped Gugnon with a one-two and finished with punches at 3:54 of the first round.
Iasmin Lucindo def. Nicolle Caliari: Lucindo controlled the all-Brazilian matchup from top position for a unanimous decision (30-27 on all three cards). Caliari, who missed weight at 120.5 pounds, was cut near her right eye in the first round.
Post-Fight Press Conference
UFC CEO Dana White opened by calling Volkanovski “an absolute stud” for beating an undefeated, younger challenger and finishing him. When Volkanovski floated a champion vs. champion fight with lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje as a possible final fight for both men, White signaled the UFC is open to it, saying there is very little the promotion would turn down for a fighter with Volkanovski’s accomplishments.
Volkanovski revealed he was sick during the fight and treated it as one more hurdle, saying it would have been “too easy” otherwise. He made clear he is not finished. Yan said he expected Dvalishvili to pressure forward and shoot “a million takedowns,” and that once he could defend them, Dvalishvili would break mentally.
White also addressed the welterweight division. Islam Makhachev was slated to defend his title in January but asked to wait until after Ramadan, so the UFC booked Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales for an interim title at UFC 336 on January 30, 2027, in Toronto. The winner is expected to face Makhachev in a unification bout.
Social Media Reaction
Fighters and media flooded social platforms after the main event, with many declaring Volkanovski the greatest featherweight in UFC history and some arguing he belongs in the conversation as one of the greatest fighters of all time at any weight. Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel that he no longer has the words to describe Volkanovski’s greatness, and Ariel Helwani called Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 a Fight of the Year contender. Song Yadong, who was in attendance, made it known he wants the next bantamweight shot, and Sean O’Malley also called out Yan.
Bonuses
Performance of the Night bonuses of $100,000 went to Alexander Volkanovski and Lone’er Kavanagh. Fight of the Night bonuses of $100,000 went to Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili.
Full Fight Card Results
Main Card
Featherweight: Alexander Volkanovski def. Movsar Evloev by TKO (punches), Round 2, 4:54
Bantamweight: Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Flyweight: Lone’er Kavanagh def. Ramazonbek Temirov by TKO (punches), Round 1, 4:28
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov def. Rizvan Kuniev by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Aaron Pico def. Losene Keita by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:14
Preliminary Card
Light Heavyweight: Dominick Reyes def. Azamat Murzakanov by TKO (head kick and punches), Round 1, 2:40
Light Heavyweight: Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Nikita Krylov by TKO (knee and punches), Round 1, 2:38
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov def. Cam Rowston by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:44
Lightweight: Grant Dawson def. Nurullo Aliev by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Early Preliminary Card
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse def. Asaf Chopurov by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Middleweight: Abubakar Vagaev def. Jacob Malkoun by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Featherweight: Daniel Santos def. Bolaji Oki by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: Kody Steele def. Noah Gugnon by TKO (punches), Round 1, 3:54
Women’s Strawweight (Caliari missed weight at 120.5 lbs): Iasmin Lucindo def. Nicolle Caliari by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Watch
UFC 333 Video Highlights: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev
UFC 333 Video Highlights: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
UFC 333 Post-Fight Press Conference
UFC 333 Social Media Reaction: MMA Community Reacts to Volkanovski vs. Evloev
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