Volkanovski vs Evloev Headlines UFC 333 — And the Champ May Be Running Out of Time

UFC 333 lands Saturday, Oct. 24 with two title fights capable of rewriting all-time ledgers. Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) puts his featherweight belt on the line against undefeated Movsar Evloev, who's gone a perfect 10-0 inside the Octagon. The main card streams on Paramount+ at 2 p.m. ET.

The headline question isn't whether Volkanovski can still compete — his all-around game remains elite, and he survived Islam Makhachev's wrestling. It's whether his chin can still hold up. Diego Lopes caught him. Makhachev and Ilia Topuria both put him down. Against a fresh, hungry Evloev who punches harder than his highlight reel suggests, that's the thread the champ is hanging by at 37.

Evloev's Finish Problem Is Overblown

Critics knock Evloev for a lack of stoppages, but look at the names he's cleared: Aljamain Sterling (26-5), Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, Dan Ige. None of those are easy finishes. He's bulldozed the toughest outs at 145 pounds and bumped every other contender aside. His cleanest path is grounding Volkanovski against the fence and draining him across 25 minutes — but there's an argument he finally finds a finish if one clean shot lands.

The Bantamweight GOAT Debate Resumes

The co-main reboots the Petr Yan–Merab Dvalishvili rivalry, and both men have a legacy case riding on it. Yan avenged his earlier loss last December to reclaim the belt, outstriking Dvalishvili in most exchanges and denying him his signature smothering gears. Dvalishvili, meanwhile, tried to become the first UFC fighter to defend a title four times in a calendar year in 2025 — and that grind may have cost him.

Now Dvalishvili's had 10 months to rest and retool. He won't beat Yan on the feet; nobody expects that. His route is the same relentless mix of pressure, fence work and takedowns that broke Yan the first time. Expect a razor-thin decision — the kind that sets up a fourth fight and keeps the 135-pound GOAT argument unsettled.

Elsewhere, Alexander Volkov (40-11, 24 KO) tries to keep his heavyweight title hopes breathing against dangerous prospect Rizvan Kuniev after a community outcry over being passed for a shot. Lone'er Kavanagh and Ramazan Temirov fight for flyweight position in a speed-versus-power clash, and Aaron Pico (14-5) opens the main card against short-notice replacement Losene Keita at featherweight. One way or another, UFC 333 makes history.