Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against Evloev

Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against Movsar Evloev on Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The fight is the main event of UFC 333.

Volkanovski is 38 and 28-4. He beat Diego Lopes by unanimous decision at 5:00 of the fifth round at UFC 325 on February 1, 2026, in the first defense of the title he won against Lopes at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025. In April 2025 he became the first fighter older than 35 to win a UFC title below 170 pounds (77 kg).

Evloev is 32 and 20-0, he is 10-0 in the UFC, and he has not finished a UFC opponent. Evloev beat Lerone Murphy by majority decision at 5:00 of the fifth round on March 21, 2026, in his first five-round UFC fight. Evloev spent that camp in Ramadan, and a visa problem left him unsure the bout would happen. Evloev beat Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling by decision before Murphy.

Evloev told UFC.com he will finish Volkanovski in the third or fourth round. Volkanovski has not beaten a fighter like him, Evloev told UFC.com. Evloev told UFC.com his family can attend in Abu Dhabi, after American visas kept them away.

Volkanovski told ESPN that Evloev’s style suits him, and that he is not in his prime. Volkanovski told ESPN he will retire if he is slowing down or taking more damage, and he said the same thing before the Lopes fight. Volkanovski has proposed a title fight next with Justin Gaethje, the lightweight champion, and both would retire after it. Gaethje is 37.

The card

Petr Yan defends the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main, their third fight. Dvalishvili won the first by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night on March 11, 2023. Yan won the second by unanimous decision at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025. Dvalishvili said he went into that fight with a significant knee injury. Yan is 20-5, and Dvalishvili is 21-5. Yan said at the UFC 333 press conference that he will break Dvalishvili’s nose again.

The UFC posted the rest of the main card in this order. Lone’er Kavanagh meets Ramazan Temirov at flyweight, and UFC lists Kavanagh at No. 6 and Temirov at No. 10. Alexander Volkov meets Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, and UFC lists Volkov at No. 2 and Kuniev at No. 7. Aaron Pico meets Losene Keita at featherweight, and UFC lists Pico at No. 11. Arnold Allen came off the bout, and Keita stepped in. Pico is 30. Lerone Murphy knocked Pico out with a spinning back elbow in Pico’s UFC debut, and Pico beat Patricio Pitbull in April.

The prelims, in the order the UFC posted them, are Azamat Murzakanov against Dominick Reyes, Nikita Krylov against Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, Abus Magomedov against Cam Rowston, and Grant Dawson against Nurullo Aliev. The early prelims are Colby Thicknesse against Asaf Chopurov, Abubakar Vagaev against Jacob Malkoun, Bolaji Oki against Daniel Santos, Kody Steele against Noah Gugnon, and Iasmin Lucindo against Nicolle Caliari. The two title fights are five rounds. The other bouts are three rounds.

Start time

Abu Dhabi is four hours ahead of UTC, London is one hour ahead of UTC, Sydney is on daylight time, eleven hours ahead of UTC, and Eastern time is four hours behind UTC.

Early prelims, prelims, and the main card in Abu Dhabi:

• Abu Dhabi: 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m.
• London: 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.
• Sydney: 1:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m. Sunday

In New York that is 10:00 a.m., noon, and 2:00 p.m. Eastern, and in Las Vegas it is 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. Pacific. The last clock is the main card. Paramount+ carries the card in the United States, and CBS carries the main card.

The Evloev story has the result.