Volkanovski and Yan defend titles at UFC 333

ABU DHABI — With two championship bouts being held in the Middle East and a matinee start time locally in the United States, the high expectations provided early fireworks for global combat fans.

The main event featured Alexander Volkanovski defending the UFC featherweight championship against undefeated No. 1 contender Movsar Evloev. In the co-main event, Petr Yan looked to retain his bantamweight belt against former title holder Merab Dvalishvili, in an epic trilogy.

Volkanovski stops Evloev in Round 2

After a close first round, the Australian champion (29-4) took control, wrestling the Russian to the canvas and landed offense at will. After cutting the contender open with ground and pound, Volkanovski pushed the pace, landing a flush left hand and buckling his opponent. With eight seconds remaining in round two, the ref had no choice but to end the fight with Evloev (20-1) curled up in survival mode.

The victory marked Volkanovski's ninth featherweight title-fight win, setting a UFC divisional record and surpassing José Aldo's previous mark of eight.

“It was a terrible fight. He is like wine: older, wiser, stronger,” Evloev admitted after the contest.

Volkanovski addressed his future in the post-fight interview, suggesting he could continue competing after another successful featherweight title defense.

"I'm choosing to do it (fighting). I don't have to," Volkanovski explained. "I said if I don't take too much damage, we will probably keep going. So maybe we keep going."

Yan retains title by unanimous decision

Merab Dvalishvili won their first encounter, using his trademark pressure and wrestling. Petr Yan eventually got his revenge in their second meeting, reclaiming the bantamweight championship and setting up the necessary trilogy.

Dvalishvili took control of the opening two rounds with takedowns, body locks and relentless ground control. The former champion kept the pressure on throughout the fight, setting a UFC record with 58 takedown attempts.

Yan fought back in the third and fourth rounds, shifting the momentum with a striking clinic. The Russian champion landed flush knees, jabs and hooks, finding his range and making Dvalishvili pay as the fight moved into the championship rounds.

The fifth and final round was chaos, with both men pushing a frenetic pace in search of the decisive moment. After 25 minutes of action, Yan retained his bantamweight title by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-47.

Reyes finishes Murzakanov convincingly

Dominick Reyes have a new lease on life. The light heavyweight, fighting out of Hesperia, California has looked unstoppable in 2026. "The Devastator" wasted no time defeating Azamat Murzakanov with a first-round TKO. Reyes stunned Murzakanov with a head kick before following up with a left hand that sent him to the mat. Reyes would unleash a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes, forcing the referee to step in.

Magomedov submits Rowston early in Round 1

Cam Rowston attempted a double leg take down in the middle of the octagon and suddenly found himself in a chokehold, ending the bout quickly in round one. Magomedov (fighting out of Düsseldorf, Germany) synched Rowston's neck, putting him in a guillotine choke. While scrambling to break free, Rowston went limp and the ref stopped the action.

Pico flattens out Keita

Aaron Pico made quick work in a statement win to open the main card, knocking out Losene Keita just 1:14 into the first round. Fighting out of San Jose, Calif., Pico connected with a ferocious right hand, dropping Keita and followed up with consistent strikes to end the contest. It marked Pico’s first finish inside the octagon, and back-to-back wins after losing his UFC debut.

Steele knocks out Gugnon

The first finish of the night came from Kody Steele via knockout (strikes) in round one. He put Noah Gugnon on the canvas with a devastating right hand, and a blazing fast follow up, before the referee ended the bout. 

Fights on tap

Nov. 14: UFC 334 – Gane vs. Hokit (New York City, USA)

Nov. 21: UFC Fight Night 29 – Prochazka vs. Stirling (Doha, Qatar)