UFC Returns to Abu Dhabi With Two Championship Bouts at UFC® 333 on October 24

UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), returns to Abu Dhabi with UFC® 333, bringing another unforgettable night of elite competition with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and undefeated No. 1-ranked contender Movsar Evloev headlining at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on Saturday, 24 October. In addition, the co-main event will see UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan defend his title against No.1 contender Merab Dvalishvili.

Tickets will be available from 1:00 p.m. GST on Monday, August 17, via Etihad Arena and Ticketmaster.ae.

VIP Ticket Packages for UFC 333 are available now via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Fans can enjoy exclusive access with premium seating, all-inclusive private VIP lounge access, meet-and-greets with UFC athletes and more. For full package details, visit UFCVIP.com.

Headlining the card, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (28-4-0, fighting out of Windang, New South Wales, Australia) and undefeated No. 1-ranked contender Movsar Evloev (20-0-0, fighting out of Ingushetia, Russia) will meet in a blockbuster featherweight clash between one of the division’s most decorated champions and one of its most dominant unbeaten contenders. The event will also feature a stacked lineup showcasing established contenders, rising stars and fan favourites from around the world.

Volkanovski enters UFC® 333 on the back of consecutive victories over Diego Lopes, having reclaimed the featherweight title at UFC® 314 before successfully retaining it in their rematch at UFC® 325. A former long-reigning champion with five successful title defences during his first reign, “The Great” has established himself as one of the most accomplished featherweights in UFC history.

Standing across the Octagon will be Evloev, who arrives in Abu Dhabi with a perfect 20-0 professional record. The No. 1-ranked featherweight most recently extended his unbeaten run with a majority-decision victory over Lerone Murphy in London, adding to notable wins over Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen and Diego Lopes as he continues his pursuit of UFC gold.

The co-main event sees UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan (20-5-0, fighting out of Omsk, Russia) renew his rivalry with former champion and No. 1-ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili (21-5-0, fighting out of Garden City Park, New York) in a pivotal bantamweight showdown.

Yan reclaimed the bantamweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over Dvalishvili at UFC® 323 in December 2025, avenging his 2023 defeat to “The Machine.” Their latest meeting sets the stage for a compelling third chapter between two of the division’s elite competitors.

Additional bouts on the card include:

England’s No. 6 ranked flyweight contender Lone’er Kavanagh (10-2; fighting out of London, England) takes on No. 7 Ramazan Temirov (20-3; fighting out of Karshi, Uzbekistan) in flyweight bout.

Heavyweight hitters collide as No. 2 ranked Alexander Volkov (40-11; fighting out of Moscow, Russia) faces No. 5 Rizvan Kuniev (14-3-1; fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia).

No. 5 ranked UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen (21-4; fighting out of Ipswich, England) meets No. 13 Aaron Pico (14-5; fighting out of Whittier, USA) in featherweight bout.

No. 8 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes (16-5; fighting out of Apple Valley, USA) faces No. 9 Azamat Murzakanov (16-1; fighting out of Nalchik, Russia) in light heavyweight bout.

No. 14 ranked UFC middleweight contender Abus Magomedov (29-7-1; fighting out of Argun, Russia) takes on Cam Rowston (15-3; fighting out of Sydney, Australia) in middleweight bout.

Veteran No. 15 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov (31-12; fighting out of Donetsk, Russia) meets undefeated Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (10-0; fighting out of Russia) in light heavyweight bout.

No. 15 ranked UFC lightweight contender Grant Dawson (24-3-1; fighting out of Cambria, USA) and Nurullo Aliev (12-0; fighting out of Dushanbe, Tajikistan) meet in a lightweight bout.

For more information on UFC® 333, visit: https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/events/ufc.