Volkanovski Ends Evloev’s Undefeated Run in Abu Dhabi
The main event pitted the veteran champion against a surging challenger who held a 20-0 professional record before Saturday night. Evloev had earned his title shot after putting together a ten-fight win streak inside the promotion, defeating opponents such as Aljamain Sterling, Diego Lopes, and Leron Murphy along the way.
Inside the Octagon: Striking Dictates the Pace
From the opening bell, Volkanovski dictated the pace in the striking exchanges. While Evloev attempted to utilize his wrestling background to ground the champion, his early takedown attempts were promptly defended or reversed.
Got it done early 🗣️@AlexVolkanovski earned the TKO stoppage in his 12th straight title fight at #UFC333!@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/liX4BmiQGj
In the second round, as Evloev tried to initiate another takedown near the fence, Volkanovski capitalized with heavy counter-strikes. A final barrage of punches forced the referee to wave off the bout with seconds remaining in the frame.
Pico Dominates Keita in Opening Round
Earlier on the card, former Oktagon MMA champion Losene Keita suffered a rapid defeat in his third promotional appearance. The matchup carried added significance for Keita, who has frequently cited Pico as a fighter he studied and admired when he first began his mixed martial arts career.
The loss drops Keita’s promotional record to 1-2 following a victory over Muhammad Naimov.
Yan Claims Trilogy Decision Over Dvalishvili
The co-main event featured a bantamweight championship trilogy bout between titleholder Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. Yan dropped the opening two frames of the contest before turning the momentum in the later rounds, ultimately securing the victory via a unanimous judges’ decision to defend his bantamweight belt.
Peer Praise and Gaethje Superfight Ambitions
The combat sports community reacted swiftly to Volkanovski’s performance on social media. Welterweight Belal Muhammad wrote that the Australian champion deserves everything he will want next,
while analyst Kenny Florian stated that Volkanovski successfully tutored the young Russian.
Following the victory, Volkanovski expressed interest in moving up to the lightweight division for a superfight against current champion Justin Gaethje. The 38-year-old champion indicated he would be prepared to walk away from the sport following such a matchup regardless of the outcome, while promotion leadership signaled openness to discussing the pairing given the champion’s resume.