UFC 333 Results: Volkanovski Stops Evloev, Yan Wins the Trilogy in Abu Dhabi

Two champions walked into Etihad Arena on Saturday, and both left still holding their belts. Here are the UFC 333 results, the moments that mattered, and what they set up next.

UFC 333 results: What the results mean

Alexander Volkanovski, 38, promised a time-defining performance, and he delivered one. He stopped previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev with a second-round TKO at 4:54, just six seconds before the horn. Evloev had a competitive first round. Midway through it, Volkanovski found his timing and dropped him with a right hand to the temple. For readers following UFC 333 results, this is the key detail to keep in view.

In round two, a clean shot made Evloev turn away. Volkanovski swarmed, put him on the canvas and finished the job with punches. Evloev drops to 20-1.

The numbers back up the eye test. Volkanovski landed 32 of 63 significant strikes in round two alone, stuffed all three of Evloev’s takedown attempts and out-landed him 56 to 40 on the night. The win gives him nine UFC featherweight title victories, the most ever, and ties Jose Aldo’s record for title defenses. He later said he fought while sick with the flu and refused medication.

Our own Volkanovski vs Evloev prediction leaned on the champion’s experience, and that is exactly how it played out.

Yan wins the trilogy from two rounds down

The co-main event earned Fight of the Night. Petr Yan lost the first two rounds on all three scorecards, then took rounds three, four and five on all three to win a unanimous decision, 48-47 across the board. It was the 20th trilogy in UFC history, and Yan takes it 2-1.

The turning point was a left kick to the body, which has long been Merab Dvalishvili’s weak spot. Yan’s best round was the last, with 52 significant strikes landed. The raw totals were nearly even, with Dvalishvili landing 131 to Yan’s 128 over 25 minutes, and some observers scored the fifth for Merab. Yan landed the cleaner, more damaging work when it counted. Read our Yan vs Dvalishvili 3 keys to victory to see how the fight was expected to go.

Undercard and bonuses

Aaron Pico opened the main card with a finish of Losene Keita. Lone’er Kavanagh followed with a finish of his own. Heavyweight Alexander Volkov won his third straight with a decision over Rizvan Kuniev, keeping himself in the division’s conversation.

The bonuses went to:

• Fight of the Night: Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili
• Performance of the Night: Alexander Volkanovski and Lone’er Kavanagh

What the results mean

Volkanovski has run out of fresh challenges at 145 pounds, and he said so by calling for a superfight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. We break that down in Volkanovski vs Gaethje: Will the Superfight Happen?

Yan, meanwhile, has closed the Merab chapter. He now needs a new challenger, and fans have floated everything from an O’Malley rematch to a move up in weight. For the latest reaction and rankings talk, follow MMA Fighting and BJPenn.

Betting recap

If you followed our partner’s picks, revisit the UFC 333 odds guide on StakeUFC and the UFC 333 best bets and parlay guide. Evloev’s unbeaten record made him a live underdog, but the champion’s finish was the outcome many sharp bettors expected.

What is next on the calendar

The UFC rolls straight into Halloween weekend with a Las Vegas Fight Night, then heads to Madison Square Garden for UFC 334 on November 14. See our UFC 335 fight card and UFC 334 preview for the road ahead.

Official updates and further reading

For official event dates, fight-card announcements, and changes, check the official UFC events schedule . For additional MMA reporting and analysis, visit ESPN MMA .

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