UFC 333 Odds

By Garrett Kerman

The UFC heads back to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 24, when UFC 333 lands at Etihad Arena with a rare double-championship headline: a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev, followed by a bantamweight trilogy rubber match between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. It's the promotion's eleventh numbered event in the city and one of the most stacked numbered events of the year.

Volkanovski Faces His Toughest Puzzle Yet

Alexander Volkanovski has already lived a full featherweight career, five title defenses in his first reign, a shocking loss to Ilia Topuria, and a return to the top after beating Diego Lopes twice, most recently in their rematch at UFC 325. Now 28-4, the Australian finally gets the man many consider his most dangerous stylistic threat: Movsar Evloev, a 20-0 wrestler-grappler who has never lost a round most fans can agree on, let alone a fight.

Evloev's resume reads like a murderers' row of the division's last five years, wins over Lopes, Arnold Allen, former champion Aljamain Sterling, and most recently a hard-fought decision over Lerone Murphy in March that included a point deduction for a second accidental groin strike. His path has always run through volume wrestling and suffocating top control rather than highlight-reel finishes, with 13 of his 20 wins coming by decision.

Volkanovski, by contrast, is one of the best takedown defenders the sport has seen at his weight and has a wrestling base of his own, which makes this less a striker-versus-grappler clash and more a battle over whose control game wins the exchanges. The oddsmakers have this one essentially a coin flip, and a win for Evloev would make him among the best featherweights in the world.

Yan and Dvalishvili Settle the Score

This is the fight fans have wanted since December. Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are now 1-1 in a series that has swung the bantamweight title back and forth twice. Dvalishvili won the first meeting by unanimous decision back in March 2023, then went on an incredible run, beating Sean O'Malley twice, handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first loss, and turning back Cory Sandhagen, before Yan spoiled his bid for a fourth title defense in a calendar year at UFC 323, out-striking him at a 60% clip and limiting him to just 5 of 29 takedown attempts in a unanimous decision that shocked the division.

Now Yan gets a chance to go 2-1 in the trilogy and validate his reclaimed belt on a bigger stage, while Dvalishvili, who has said little publicly about the immediate rematch, will need to solve the striking distance and volume that neutralized his signature pace-pushing wrestling the first time around. Whoever adjusts wins the trilogy for good.

Allen Chases a Signature Win

The featherweight undercard carries its own weight. Arnold Allen, the No. 5-ranked contender who has spent years hovering near featherweight's top ten, meets Aaron Pico in a matchup billed as a legitimate opportunity for Pico to crash the rankings. Allen has already tangled with several names on this same card's resume, he lost a decision to Evloev back in 2024, and a win here keeps him in range of a title shot down the line, with only Aljamain Sterling standing ahead of him in the pecking order.

What to Watch for on the Prelims

The Abu Dhabi undercard is thick with veterans and heavy hitters looking to crack the main card conversation for future events. Alexander Volkov, one of the most durable operators in the heavyweight division, takes on Russian prospect Rizvan Kuniev in a fight that could turn on Volkov's reach and kickboxing pedigree against a hungry newcomer trying to make an immediate impression.

Light heavyweight gets real intrigue with Azamat Murzakanov facing former title challenger Dominick Reyes, a clash of styles between Murzakanov's heavy hands and durability against Reyes's rangy, technical kickboxing on the comeback trail. In the same division, Nikita Krylov meets Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, pitting a veteran finisher who has scored highlight-reel knockouts and submissions throughout his UFC tenure against a newer face looking to make a statement in front of a partisan Abu Dhabi crowd.

Flyweight action features Lone'er Kavanagh against Ramazan Temirov, a matchup between two developing prospects still building their case for the division's crowded top fifteen. Middleweight rounds out the broadcast with Abus Magomedov taking on Cameron Rowston, a bout that should showcase Magomedov's unpredictable striking against Rowston's determination to keep the pressure on from bell to bell. Lightweight closes the featured prelim slate with Grant Dawson facing Nurullo Aliev, a grappling-heavy pairing between two fighters who rarely leave a decision to chance.

UFC 333 streams live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Paramount+, with prelims starting at 10 a.m. ET and the main card following at 2 p.m. ET.