UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev, Yan vs Dvalishvili 3, Time and Stream
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski faces unbeaten Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan meets Merab Dvalishvili for a third time at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Key points
- Two title fights headline UFC 333 on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and search interest is climbing a day early.
- Volkanovski (28-4) is chasing his ninth featherweight title win.
- Yan and Dvalishvili have split their first two meetings, and both were one sided in opposite directions.
Two title fights headline UFC 333 on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and search interest is climbing a day early. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the main event, and bantamweight champion Petr Yan meets former champion Merab Dvalishvili for the third time in the co-main event, USA Today reported in its fight guide.
The main event
Volkanovski (28-4) is chasing his ninth featherweight title win. He comes in off back to back unanimous decision wins over Diego Lopes, the second of them in front of a home crowd in Australia in January. With those wins he became the first fighter over the age of 35 to win a UFC championship in a weight class under 170 pounds, USA Today noted. Evloev brings a 20-0 record after a majority decision win over Lerone Murphy in March, and he has never lost as a professional.
The trilogy, and the nose to watch
Yan and Dvalishvili have split their first two meetings, and both were one sided in opposite directions. Dvalishvili won the first fight in March 2023. Yan won the rematch at UFC 323 in December, ending a title reign in which Dvalishvili had made three successful defenses. Both fights went to unanimous decisions, Sherdog reported.
The fresh concern is Dvalishvili's nose. His longtime coach Ray Longo said on the Anik and Florian podcast that the challenger chose not to have surgery before the fight and could enter the title bout with a nose injury, RingSide24 reported on Oct. 22. Longo's point was simple: one clean shot to the nose could start bleeding, and in a close round, visible damage can shape how judges see the round. Against a sharp counter striker like Yan, that is a real factor, not a rumor.
Dvalishvili, for his part, says he feels rested and healthy after ten months away, and that he believes he is the better fighter. He told UFC News he has been working smart and only needs to show up and do his thing, Sherdog reported.
How to watch UFC 333
The card streams live on Paramount+ on Saturday, Oct. 24. Early prelims start at 10 a.m. ET and the main card starts at 2 p.m. ET, USA Today reported. The early start is the Abu Dhabi time zone at work, so US fans get a daytime card instead of the usual late night finish.
Searches for Dvalishvili were among the rising US Google Trends terms this morning, and the reason is this card. Two belts, one trilogy, and a champion in the main event defending against an unbeaten challenger: Saturday will answer the questions Friday is asking.