Two world title fights will top the bill at UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 24.
The main event in the UAE capital will be the long-awaited featherweight title bout between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev.
That is supported by a huge co-main event, as Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili will settle their rivalry in a trilogy bout.
The UFC announced the line-up during Saturday’s UFC 330 broadcast. Popular Aussie Volkanovski (28-4) has fought in Abu Dhabi twice before. He defeated Max Holloway by split decision at UFC 251 back in 2020, but lost in a lightweight title bout to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October 2023.
He is seeking a second successful defence of his title in his second reign as featherweight champion, while Evloev gets his shot after building a 20–0 record in the professional ranks.
Yan (20-5) was an underdog when he upset Dvalishvili at UFC 323 to reclaim the bantamweight title and avenge a loss from their first meeting in 2023. Dvalishvili (21-5) had been unbeaten for seven years and on a 14-fight winning streak at that point.
Makhachev makes it 17 in a row
Meanwhile, Makhachev reinforced his status as one of the great MMA fighters as he earned a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry to retain his UFC welterweight title on Saturday night.
Makhachev made the most of his dominant grappling in a tense five-round battle in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
Irish challenger Garry, 28, caused plenty of problems for the champion, but Makhachev's superior wrestling techniques saw him safely through as he set a UFC record of 17 victories in a row in the promotion.
“Ian is a great fighter, a good man, and I just respect him. He gave me a hard time, but I still prove myself every fight. Thank you for this match,” Makhachev said.
Despite the defeat, Garry sounded confident and said the match showed he was on the right path.
“I have nothing but respect for Islam Makhachev, he broke a record tonight,” Garry told TNT Sports.
“It might be one step backwards but I will return. I'm only 28, I can have another decade of dominating in this sport.”
It was a hard-fought win for 34-year-old Makhachev, who had said that he “does not have much time” left in the UFC.
“I'm not like young guy. Now it's better for me to fight every three to four months,” Makhachev told UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson.
“I understand I'm not 28 years old; I'm 34 right now. And I don't have much time.
“Sometimes it's not going like you want in the UFC. You want to fight after three or four months, but it's not according to your wish.”
UFC 333 Main card
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
Arnold Allen vs Aaron Pico – featherweight
Preliminary card
Dominick Reyes vs Azamat Murzakanov – light heavyweight
Abus Magomedov vs Cam Rowston – middleweight
Nikita Krylov vs Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev – light heavyweight
Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev – lightweight
