Volkanovski defends featherweight title against undefeated Evloev at UFC 333

UFC 333 takes place on October 24, 2026, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, featuring a stacked card headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against undefeated Russian contender Movsar Evloev. The 38-year-old Australian seeks his seventh title defense, which would set a new record for featherweight championship wins and surpass Jose Aldo's previous record of eight. Volkanovski, widely regarded as one of the greatest featherweights of all time, has achieved this position through a second championship run after regaining his belt in 2025.

In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Petr Yan faces Merab Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout. Both title fights were made official after the weigh-ins, with all fighters on the main card making weight except strawweight competitor Nicolle Caliari, who came in 4.5 pounds overweight and will be fined a percentage of her purse. Evloev brings an undefeated 20-0 record with a 10-fight UFC winning streak, having defeated notable opponents including Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen.

The event includes 14 fights across multiple cards. The main card features several high-ranked matchups, including heavyweight contenders Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev, featherweights Aaron Pico and Losene Keita, and a flyweight clash between Lone'er Kavanagh and Ramazon Temirov. Early prelims begin at 10am ET, followed by prelims at 12pm ET and the main card at 2pm ET, all broadcast live on Paramount+.

Volkanovski has framed his pursuit of records as secondary to overcoming challenges, particularly given his age in an athletic career. The Australian lost his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria in 2024 before mounting a comeback that included victories over Diego Lopes to regain the belt. Volkanovski has stated he is not considering retirement regardless of the outcome, though a potential super fight against lightweight champion Justin Gaethje could change his plans.