Volkanovski vows to finish unbeaten Evloev at UFC 333
The featherweight champion says he will stop the 20-0 Russian inside five rounds Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski said Sunday he will finish Movsar Evloev inside five rounds when they headline UFC 333 this Saturday, Oct. 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Evloev puts a perfect 20-0 record on the line in his first title shot.
The 38-year-old Australian spoke to MMA Junkie at a fan event in Dubai as fight week got underway. “I believe I can get a finish. I think I can do it inside the five,” said Volkanovski, who is 28-4.
He was answering Evloev, who has said he plans to dominate the champion for 25 minutes and doesn’t mind winning a decision. Earlier this month, Volkanovski also pitched a superfight with Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title, provided he gets past the Russian.
Volkanovski’s striking vs. Evloev’s takedowns
The No. 1 ranked featherweight, Evloev trains at American Top Team in Florida and built his unbeaten run on the mat. He averages 4.78 takedowns per 15 minutes, according to official UFC stats.
Of his 20 wins, 13 came by decision, four by submission and three by knockout. In the UFC he has beaten Arnold Allen, Aljamain Sterling, Brazil’s Diego Lopes and, most recently, Lerone Murphy by majority decision in March in London.
Volkanovski stops 69% of takedown attempts against him and said in a video in late August that Evloev would not be able to keep him down. His only three UFC losses came against Islam Makhachev, twice, and Ilia Topuria. Makhachev is now the target of Brazil’s Carlos Prates.
Diego Lopes, the common opponent
Both men have beaten the same Brazilian. Volkanovski outpointed Diego Lopes twice by unanimous decision, in April 2025 and January 2026, winning back the belt and then defending it. Evloev also got past Lopes on his way to the title shot.
The difference is how. Volkanovski beat Lopes on the feet. Evloev made his career taking fights to the ground and controlling from top position, exactly the scenario Volkanovski says he will shut down.
Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 for the bantamweight title
The co-main event closes out one of the UFC’s best rivalries. Merab Dvalishvili beat Petr Yan by unanimous decision in March 2023 and went on to win the bantamweight title. Yan evened the score at UFC 323 in December 2025, also by unanimous decision, to reclaim the belt.
Yan (20-5) is one of the best boxers in the division. Dvalishvili (21-5) is a relentless grappler who submitted Sean O’Malley in the third round in June 2025.
Brazilians on the card and UFC 333 start time
Three Brazilians are on the card. Daniel “Willycat” Santos, from Chute Boxe Diego Lima, faces Belgium’s Bolaji Oki at featherweight. Iasmin Lucindo and Nicolle Caliari meet in an all-Brazilian strawweight bout.
The event streams on Paramount+. Early prelims start at 10 a.m. ET, prelims at noon ET and the main card at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). Here are the bouts announced by the UFC:
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev (featherweight title)
- Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili (bantamweight title)
- Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Ramazan Temirov (flyweight)
- Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev (heavyweight)
- Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita (featherweight)
- Azamat Murzakanov vs. Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
- Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (light heavyweight)
- Abus Magomedov vs. Cam Rowston (middleweight)
- Grant Dawson vs. Nurullo Aliev (lightweight)
- Colby Thicknesse vs. Asaf Chopurov (bantamweight)
- Abubakar Vagaev vs. Jacob Malkoun (middleweight)
- Daniel Santos vs. Bolaji Oki (featherweight)
- Iasmin Lucindo vs. Nicolle Caliari (strawweight)
What do you think: does Volkanovski stop the unbeaten Evloev before the fifth round, or does the Russian grind him down for 25 minutes? Let us know in the comments.
Read more:
- Volkanovski pitches Gaethje superfight for lightweight title
- Charles Oliveira picks Carlos Prates to beat Islam Makhachev
