Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan edged Merab Dvalishvili as both champions retained their titles at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.
Volkanovski finished the featherweight challenger at 4:54 of Round 2. Yan kept his bantamweight belt by unanimous decision, with all three judges returning narrow 48–47 scorecards.
UFC 333 results
The UFC’s official main-card report confirms the championship results from Etihad Arena. The complete card produced seven finishes and seven decisions, including several significant wins below the headliners.
| Result | Method or scores | Round/time |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski def. Movsar Evloev | TKO, punches | R2, 4:54 |
| Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili | Unanimous decision, 48–47 on all cards | 5 rounds |
| Lone’er Kavanagh def. Ramazan Temirov | TKO, strikes | R1, 4:28 |
| Alexander Volkov def. Rizvan Kuniev | Unanimous decision, 29–28, 30–27, 30–27 | 3 rounds |
| Aaron Pico def. Losene Keita | TKO, strikes | R1, 1:14 |
| Dominick Reyes def. Azamat Murzakanov | KO, head kick and punches | R1, 2:40 |
| Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Nikita Krylov | TKO, knee | R1, 2:38 |
| Abus Magomedov def. Cam Rowston | Technical submission, guillotine choke | R1, 1:44 |
| Grant Dawson def. Nurullo Aliev | Unanimous decision, 29–27 on all cards | 3 rounds |
| Colby Thicknesse def. Asaf Chopurov | Split decision, 29–28, 28–29, 29–28 | 3 rounds |
| Abubakar Vagaev def. Jacob Malkoun | Unanimous decision, 29–28 on all cards | 3 rounds |
| Daniel Santos def. Bolaji Oki | Unanimous decision, 29–28 on all cards | 3 rounds |
| Kody Steele def. Noah Gugnon | KO, strikes | R1, 3:54 |
| Iasmin Lucindo def. Nicolle Caliari | Unanimous decision, 30–27 on all cards | 3 rounds |
Post-event analysis
Volkanovski’s decisive work began before the finishing combination. Evloev threatened with wrestling, but the champion’s defensive success gave him opportunities to keep attacking on his feet.
A clean right hand changed the second round. Evloev turned away while retreating, and Volkanovski followed immediately, forcing him down before finishing with punches on the canvas.
The important distinction was how quickly Volkanovski converted an opening into a stoppage. He denied Evloev the time to recover his stance or restart his wrestling.
That is a strong answer to questions about the 38-year-old champion’s staying power. It also handed Evloev his first professional defeat against the division’s established standard.
According to MMA Mania’s main-event recap, this was Volkanovski’s first finish since beating Yair Rodriguez in 2023. The result demonstrated finishing power alongside his familiar defensive discipline.
Yan’s victory required a different adjustment. Dvalishvili’s early pressure and repeated takedown attempts occupied the champion defensively, limiting his offense across the opening two rounds of action.
From the third, Yan found more room for combinations and attacks to the body. Those exchanges became increasingly important as he established a more effective striking rhythm.
The identical 48–47 scores underline the fight’s narrow margins. Yan did enough to win every judge’s overall verdict, but Dvalishvili’s early success made his recovery essential.
The tactical lesson is not that pressure failed outright. Yan endured it, kept finding escapes and increasingly made Dvalishvili pay when opportunities appeared in striking exchanges.
Lone’er Kavanagh and Aaron Pico delivered the main card’s other stoppages. Kavanagh finished Ramazan Temirov late in the first round, while Pico needed only seventy-four seconds against Keita.
Kavanagh’s uppercut created the opening for his finishing attack. Pico combined an early takedown threat with a damaging right hand, showing how wrestling can create striking opportunities.
Alexander Volkov earned a third consecutive victory by outpointing Rizvan Kuniev. His success in the clinch and late back control supported another step in his championship pursuit.
The preliminary card also reshaped conversations at light heavyweight. Dominick Reyes stopped Azamat Murzakanov, while Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev finished Nikita Krylov, both inside the opening round.
Kody Steele’s knockout of Noah Gugnon added another early finish. Grant Dawson, meanwhile, handed Nurullo Aliev his first defeat, expanding the event’s consequences beyond the championship fights.
UFC 333 therefore reinforced the reigning champions while producing movement beneath them. Volkanovski delivered the clearest statement; Yan supplied the strongest example of adjusting under sustained pressure.
