UFC 333 takes place Saturday, Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with the main card on Paramount+ at 2 p.m. ET
All four title fighters made weight: Volkanovski 144.5, Evloev 145, Yan and Dvalishvili 135 pounds
Nicolle Caliari weighed 120.5 pounds, 4.5 over the strawweight limit; her bout with Iasmin Lucindo proceeds at catchweight and she forfeits 30 percent of her purse
Reported, not confirmed
Dana White said Alexander Volkov is in the heavyweight title mix and will get his shot
MMA Mania
Volkov is eyeing the winner of Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit at UFC 334
MMA Fanatik Slovakia
UFC 333 puts two championships on the line in Abu Dhabi. Alexander Volkanovski, a two-time featherweight champion coming off consecutive title wins over Diego Lopes, faces Movsar Evloev, who is unbeaten and 10-0 since his 2019 UFC debut.
The co-main event settles a rivalry. Dvalishvili won their first fight in 2023; Yan took the rematch last December at UFC 323, regaining the 135-pound belt, snapping Dvalishvili's 14-fight win streak and stopping his bid to become the first fighter to defend a UFC title four times in a calendar year. La Sueur reports Yan is a slight favorite and told Dvalishvili at the final face-off he would be his "executioner" on Saturday.
The week's viral moment came at the press conference, when heavyweight Alexander Volkov posed as a newcomer asking how to become champion and Dana White appeared not to recognize him. White later told Main Event he knew all along and was waiting for a punchline. Volkov first faces No. 5-ranked Rizvan Kuniev on the main card.
Summary
Both UFC 333 title fights are official after weigh-ins in Abu Dhabi, where Nicolle Caliari missed weight by 4.5 pounds; no results are in yet.
Key points (one per line)
All four title fighters made weight for UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the main event.
Petr Yan defends the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in their trilogy co-main event.
Nicolle Caliari weighed 120.5 pounds; her bout with Iasmin Lucindo goes ahead at catchweight.
Merab Dvalishvili
Petr Yan
Movsar Evloev
Alexander Volkanovski
Nicolle Caliari
Alexander Volkov
Rizvan Kuniev
Ramazonbek Temirov
Dominick Reyes
Cameron Rowston
Colby Thicknesse
Iasmin Lucindo
Lone'er Kavanagh
Azamat Murzakanov
Abus Magomedov