Update, 00:45 Riyadh time (AST), 25 October: Alexander Volkanovski beat Movsar Evloev by TKO (punches) at 4:54 of round 2 to keep the UFC featherweight title, handing Evloev (now 20-1) the first loss of his career, according to UFC.com. In the co-main event, Petr Yan beat Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision (48-47 on all three scorecards) to keep the bantamweight title and win the trilogy 2-1, as reported by MMA Fighting. Aaron Pico, Alexander Volkov and Lone'er Kavanagh also won on the main card.
UFC 333 is the biggest trend on X in the United States tonight, and it is happening on our doorstep. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with two title fights at the top of the card: featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev, and the third meeting between bantamweight champion Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. Nine preliminary bouts are done, four of them ended in the first round, and the main card started at 21:00 Riyadh time. Here is what has happened so far and what is still to come.
Key points
- UFC 333 takes place on Saturday 24 October 2026 at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. It is the UFC's 24th visit to the city and its 11th numbered event there, according to the event's Wikipedia record.
- The main card began at 2 p.m. ET, which is 21:00 in Riyadh and 22:00 in Abu Dhabi, per the official UFC event page.
- Dominick Reyes, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, Abus Magomedov and Kody Steele all won by first-round stoppage on the prelims, MMA Fighting reported.
- Evloev enters the main event at 20-0, including 10-0 in the UFC. Volkanovski (28-4) is making his seventh overall title defence, according to F4W.
Why UFC 333 is trending
On X's trend lists checked at 21:20 AST, #UFC333 was the number one trend in the United States and sat in the worldwide top 15, alongside the Chelsea and Tottenham derby. Fighter names from the card, including Reyes, Grant Dawson, Nurullo Aliev and Asaf Chopurov, were trending in the US at the same time. Post volume tells the same story: X counted roughly 350 to 460 posts an hour mentioning UFC 333 overnight, rising to about 4,900 an hour between 20:00 and 21:00 AST as the prelims ran, and more than 47,000 posts since midday on Friday.
The appeal is simple. Numbered UFC events with two championship fights are rare, and this one has a genuine question in each: can a 38-year-old champion stop an undefeated challenger, and who settles a rivalry that stands at one win each?
Main event: Volkanovski vs Evloev
Alexander Volkanovski, a two-time featherweight champion from Australia, defends the 145-pound belt against Russia's Movsar Evloev. MMA Fighting notes that Volkanovski arrives off consecutive title wins over Diego Lopes, while Evloev has won all ten of his UFC fights since debuting in 2019. Both made weight at Friday's weigh-ins: Volkanovski at 144.5 pounds and Evloev at 145, according to Tapology, which lists Volkanovski at 38 years old and Evloev at 32.
The fight is a classic test of experience against an unbeaten record. Volkanovski has fought the best of two weight classes for years; Evloev has never lost as a professional. If Evloev wins, he becomes champion with a perfect record. If Volkanovski wins, the conversation turns to what comes next for a champion approaching 40.
Co-main event: Yan vs Dvalishvili III
Result: Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47). The bantamweight title fight completes a trilogy. Dvalishvili beat Yan by unanimous decision in March 2023. Yan reversed that result at UFC 323 in December 2025 to win the 135-pound title for a second time, ending Dvalishvili's 14-fight winning streak and, as MMA Fighting points out, stopping him from becoming the first fighter to defend a UFC title four times in a calendar year. F4W lists Yan at 20-5 and Dvalishvili at 21-5 going in. Both fighters hit the 135-pound limit at the weigh-ins.
UFC 333 results so far
These are the confirmed results from the early preliminary and preliminary cards, as reported by MMA Fighting and recorded on Wikipedia:
| Bout | Result |
|---|---|
| Light heavyweight | Dominick Reyes def. Azamat Murzakanov, KO (punches), R1 2:40 |
| Light heavyweight | Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Nikita Krylov, TKO (knee and strikes), R1 2:38 |
| Middleweight | Abus Magomedov def. Cam Rowston, submission (guillotine choke), R1 1:44 |
| Lightweight | Grant Dawson def. Nurullo Aliev, unanimous decision (29-27 x3) |
| Bantamweight | Colby Thicknesse def. Asaf Chopurov, split decision |
| Middleweight | Abubakar Vagaev def. Jacob Malkoun, unanimous decision (29-28 x3) |
| Featherweight | Daniel Santos def. Bolaji Oki, unanimous decision (29-28 x3) |
| Lightweight | Kody Steele def. Noah Gugnon, KO (punches), R1 3:54 |
| Catchweight (120.5 lb) | Iasmin Lucindo def. Nicolle Caliari, unanimous decision (30-27 x3) |
Two details stood out. Aliev, previously unbeaten, was docked a point in the first round for strikes to the back of the head before losing his first professional fight to Dawson. And Caliari weighed in at 120.5 pounds, four and a half pounds over the strawweight limit, so her bout went ahead at catchweight and she forfeited 30% of her purse to Lucindo, according to the weigh-in report cited by Wikipedia.
The rest of the main card
Before the title fights, three more bouts open the main card, per F4W:
- Featherweight: No. 11 Aaron Pico (14-5) vs Losene Keita (17-2). Keita stepped in after Arnold Allen withdrew injured. Result: Pico won by TKO (punches) at 1:14 of round 1.
- Heavyweight: No. 2 Alexander Volkov (40-11) vs No. 7 Rizvan Kuniev (15-3-1). Result: Volkov won by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).
- Flyweight: No. 6 Lone'er Kavanagh (10-2) vs No. 10 Ramazan Temirov (20-2). Result: Kavanagh won by stoppage (punches) at 4:28 of round 1.
How to follow UFC 333 tonight
In the US, the whole card streams on Paramount+, with Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder on commentary, according to Tapology. Broadcast rights differ by country, so check your local UFC partner. The main card runs in order, with the two title fights last, so the exact start of the main event depends on how long the earlier bouts last. The UFC event page updates results round by round. Saudi readers keeping an eye on Sunday's football should also note that Europe's clocks go back overnight; we explain what that means for kick-off times here.
FAQ
Where is UFC 333 being held?
At the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday 24 October 2026.
What time did the UFC 333 main card start in Saudi Arabia?
The main card started at 2 p.m. ET, which is 21:00 Riyadh time (22:00 in the UAE). The prelims began at 19:00 Riyadh time and the early prelims at 17:00.
Who headlines UFC 333?
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his title against unbeaten Movsar Evloev. Bantamweight champion Petr Yan faces Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event.
Have Yan and Dvalishvili fought before?
Yes, twice. Dvalishvili won by decision in March 2023 and Yan won the rematch at UFC 323 in December 2025, and Yan won the trilogy fight at UFC 333 by unanimous decision.
Who won on the UFC 333 prelims?
Dominick Reyes, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, Abus Magomedov, Grant Dawson, Colby Thicknesse, Abubakar Vagaev, Daniel Santos, Kody Steele and Iasmin Lucindo.
Sources
- UFC: UFC 333, Volkanovski vs Evloev (official event page)
- MMA Fighting: UFC 333 results, Volkanovski vs Evloev (live)
- F4W/WON: UFC 333 live results, two title fights in Abu Dhabi
- Tapology: UFC 333 event page (weigh-ins, broadcast, ages)
- Wikipedia: UFC 333 (background, results, weigh-in notes)
- X: #UFC333 trend (United States and worldwide trend lists, 24 Oct 2026)
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