UFC 333 takes center stage at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, featuring Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev, alongside a bantamweight championship trilogy bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, according to coverage from MMA Fighting and Sherdog.
Early Card Action and Decision Bouts at Etihad Arena
Action at Etihad Arena opened in the women’s strawweight division, where an overweight Nicolle Caliari faced Iasmin Lucindo. Lucindo utilized varied stances and heavy top pressure, landing elbows and securing multiple takedowns despite Caliari bleeding from a cut near her right eye. Sherdog reported that judges Brian Knapp, Tyler Treese, and Mike Sloan all scored the first round for Lucindo, yielding a unanimous decision victory with scores of 30-27 across the board. In a bout featuring extensive leg kicks and tactical striking, Daniel Santos met Bolaji Oki. Santos secured a unanimous decision win with identical 29-28 scores across all three judges’ cards.
Who u got: @PetrYanUFC or @MerabDvalishvil ? #UFC333 is LIVE TONIGHT on @paramountplus! pic.twitter.com/ozdjBn2Yhj
— https://x.com/danawhite/status/2113981946175148535
Abubakar Vagaev and Jacob Malkoun squared off next, with Vagaev mixing overhand rights and takedowns to counter Malkoun’s persistent jab. Vagaev claimed the unanimous decision with three 29-28 scorecards. In bantamweight action, Asaf Chopurov and Colby Thicknesse met inside the cage, where MMA Fighting noted Thicknesse secured a split decision victory with two judges scoring it 29-28 in his favor and a third dissenting at 28-29.
Grant Dawson earned a unanimous decision over Nurullo Aliev with identical 29-27 scores, while heavyweight Alexander Volkov defeated Rizvan Kuniev via unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 and 30-27 twice. Abus Magomedov secured a first-round guillotine submission against Cam Rowston at 1:44 of the opening frame, and Dominick Reyes stopped Azamat Murzakanov with a first-round knockout at 2:40. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev added another quick finish, stopping Nikita Krylov via TKO at 2:38 of the first round, and Aaron Pico defeated Losene Keita with a first-round TKO at 1:14.
Kody Steele delivered a first-round knockout victory over Noah Gugnon at 3:54 of their clash.
Championship Bouts Headline the Abu Dhabi Pay-Per-View
The championship slate at the top of the card features high-stakes title fights matching established division kings against surging contenders. In the main event, two-time featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his belt against Movsar Evloev, who enters the matchup undefeated since his 2019 promotional debut, as detailed by MMA Fighting. Volkanovski holds the longest average fight time in UFC featherweight history at 18 minutes and three seconds, alongside 1,623 significant strikes.
Has Alexander Volkov earned himself a title shot?@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi [ #UFC333 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/pUIUTd1nw8
— https://x.com/ufc/status/2114074109772804124
The co-main event showcases a bantamweight championship trilogy between titleholder Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. Yahoo Sports reported that Yan defeated Dvalishvili this past December at UFC 323 to claim the 135-pound belt a second time and snap Dvalishvili’s 14-fight win streak, avenging a 2023 loss where Dvalishvili attempted a record-setting 49 takedowns against an injured Yan.
More on Etihad Arena
He keeps on winning 😤Alexander Volkov gets his third-straight victory via UD@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi [ #UFC333 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/NiaWyxeIqv
— https://x.com/ufc/status/2114072594349781139
Who u got: @alexvolkanovski or @MovsarUFC ? #UFC333 is LIVE TONIGHT on @paramountplus! pic.twitter.com/U42eqyp2cT
— https://x.com/danawhite/status/2113988354488582561
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