Volkanovski Meets Undefeated Evloev at UFC 333 as Yan-Merab III Lands

UFC 333 has its top two fights locked, and both carry serious stakes. Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) headlines with a featherweight title defense against Movsar Evloev, a matchup fans have been circling for years, on Oct. 24 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. It's the second defense of Volkanovski's second reign, and it comes against a challenger who hasn't lost a single professional fight — Evloev walks in at a spotless 20-0.

The UFC made it official during Saturday's UFC 330 broadcast. Beneath the main event sits the fight that arguably deserved top billing: Petr Yan versus Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout to settle a rivalry that's now split 1-1. Both men own a win over the other, and the third chapter finally decides it.

Volkanovski's Undefeated Problem

Evloev is the sport's most conspicuous unbeaten fighter, and he's waited a long time for this shot. Twenty fights, zero losses, and only now cracks the door to a belt. Volkanovski, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Diego Lopes and remains the division's benchmark at 145. He sits fifth in the pound-for-pound rankings, tied with Tom Aspinall and Ilia Topuria, while Evloev slots in at 19.

The champ has finished 16 of his 28 wins — 13 by knockout, three by submission — but his recent run has leaned on volume and control rather than the highlight-reel stoppages. Against someone who's never tasted defeat, decision or otherwise, that dependability matters.

Yan-Merab, One More Time

Yan (20-5) turned in one of 2025's finest performances at UFC 323, reclaiming the bantamweight title, avenging a 2023 loss to Dvalishvili, and snapping the Georgian's 14-fight win streak in one night. "No Mercy" has now won four straight after a rough three-fight skid, and he wants to close the book on this feud for good. He's the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter on the board.

Dvalishvili (21-5) arrives after a deserved layoff. Before Yan derailed him, he defended the belt three times in 2025 and built a seven-year unbeaten stretch stacked with names — Aldo, O'Malley, Cejudo, Umar Nurmagomedov, Sandhagen, and Yan himself. He sits eighth pound-for-pound, tied with Sean Strickland, and his shot at becoming the first UFC fighter to log four defenses in a calendar year died in Yan's hands.

The rest of the card fills out nicely. Alexander Volkov (40-11), the No. 2 heavyweight, faces Rizvan Kuniev, while Arnold Allen meets Aaron Pico and Lone'er Kavanagh takes on Ramazan Temirov. Prelims feature Dominick Reyes vs. Azamat Murzakanov, Abus Magomedov vs. Cam Rowston, Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, and Grant Dawson vs. Nurullo Aliev.