UFC 333: Full Fight Card, Date, Start Time, Predictions and How to Watch

Two championship fights headline UFC 333, with Alexander Volkanovski scheduled to defend the featherweight title against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan facing Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight championship clash.

The upcoming UFC event is scheduled for October 24, 2026, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The card also features established contenders Alexander Volkov, Arnold Allen, Aaron Pico, Dominick Reyes and other fighters looking to strengthen their positions in their respective divisions.

For fans searching for UFC 333, this guide covers the date, fight card, start times, India time, championship matchups, fight predictions and viewing options. The article will be updated if the UFC officially changes the card.

UFC 333 Date, Venue and Start Time

UFC 333 takes place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The event features a championship main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev, along with a bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili.

UFC 333 Quick Facts

Indian start times are calculated from the published Eastern Daylight Time schedule. The main card is scheduled to begin at 11:30 PM IST on October 24, with the event continuing into October 25 in India if the fights run late.

UFC 333 Fight Card: All Announced Fights

The official UFC event listing currently features two championship bouts and several matchups involving established contenders and rising fighters.

UFC 333 Main Card

UFC 333 Preliminary Card

Important: This is the announced card shown in the official UFC listing at the time of writing. Fight order, opponents and bout availability can change because of injuries or other circumstances. Check the official event page before publishing last-minute updates.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev: Main Event Preview

The headline attraction at UFC 333 is the featherweight championship fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev.

The matchup presents an interesting contrast between an experienced champion with a well-rounded skill set and an undefeated challenger known for his wrestling and positional control.

Can Alexander Volkanovski Defend His Title?

Volkanovski has established himself as one of the defining featherweights of his era. His game combines efficient movement, sharp boxing, low kicks, defensive awareness and intelligent adjustments during a fight.

One of his most important strengths is his ability to change the rhythm of a contest. He can work behind combinations, attack the legs, move out of danger and make opponents hesitate before committing to their own offense.

Against a wrestler such as Evloev, Volkanovski’s ability to defend takedowns and return to striking range will be crucial.

The champion cannot afford to focus exclusively on striking exchanges. If Evloev establishes repeated takedowns or keeps him against the fence, Volkanovski may have fewer opportunities to build offensive momentum.

His experience in championship fights could be an advantage, but it does not remove the technical challenge in front of him.

Why Movsar Evloev Is a Dangerous Challenger

Evloev enters the scheduled contest with an undefeated professional record and a reputation for controlling opponents through wrestling, grappling and intelligent positional work.

His challenge is to turn those strengths into sustained control against a champion who has spent years preparing for elite competition.

Successful takedowns alone will not necessarily win every round. Evloev must also maintain position, produce effective offense and avoid allowing Volkanovski to escape into extended striking exchanges.

The challenger could make the fight difficult by forcing Volkanovski to defend takedowns repeatedly, breaking up his rhythm and limiting the champion’s ability to establish combinations.

Volkanovski, meanwhile, will look to make Evloev pay for unsuccessful entries and create space for his striking.

What Could Decide Volkanovski vs. Evloev?

Three areas may prove especially important.

Takedown defense: Volkanovski needs to prevent Evloev from establishing a consistent wrestling rhythm.

Positional control: Evloev needs to turn grappling exchanges into meaningful control and offense rather than relying on isolated takedowns.

Late-round performance: Five-round championship fights test pacing, decision-making and conditioning. Both men will need to maintain discipline as fatigue develops.

The key question is whether Volkanovski can keep enough of the fight standing to use his striking or whether Evloev can repeatedly bring the contest into his preferred grappling positions.

That tactical contest makes the main event one of the most compelling parts of UFC 333.

Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili: The Other Championship Fight

The scheduled bantamweight title bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili gives UFC 333 another championship-level storyline.

Yan is known for his boxing, combinations, defensive reactions and counterstriking. He tends to build his offense through timing and technical precision, punishing opponents when they become predictable.

Dvalishvili presents a very different challenge. His wrestling pressure, high activity and relentless pace can force opponents to defend for long stretches without establishing their own preferred rhythm.

Yan’s Route to Victory

Yan needs to create clean striking opportunities and avoid allowing the fight to become a continuous series of wrestling exchanges.

His boxing can be effective when he has room to set up combinations and make opponents pay for entering carelessly. But those openings may become more difficult to find if Dvalishvili repeatedly forces him to defend takedowns.

Good distance management, defensive wrestling and accurate counterstrikes could be essential.

Dvalishvili’s Route to Victory

Dvalishvili’s strongest path is likely to involve pressure, pace and repeated attempts to disrupt Yan’s striking.

He can challenge an opponent’s stamina and concentration by forcing them to make defensive decisions throughout the fight. If he successfully keeps Yan reacting rather than attacking, Dvalishvili may be able to control the tempo.

The challenge is to avoid unnecessary striking exchanges while ensuring his pressure produces meaningful offense.

Why the Co-Main Event Matters

The presence of two title fights makes the event more attractive than a card built around a single championship contest.

The Volkanovski-Evloev matchup centres on the relationship between elite striking and wrestling, while Yan-Dvalishvili highlights the difficulty of dealing with a high-pressure grappler.

Fans searching for UFC 333 predictions will have two major tactical matchups to evaluate rather than only one.

Other UFC 333 Fights to Watch

The championship fights are the headline attractions, but the rest of the card contains several matchups with their own significance.

Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev

The heavyweight matchup between Volkov and Kuniev adds another intriguing contest to the event. Heavyweight fights can change quickly because of the power involved, but technical discipline and distance management remain important.

Volkov’s height and striking range can help him control exchanges, while Kuniev will look to create opportunities to land effective offense. The way they manage distance should be one of the central themes.

Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Ramazan Temirov

The flyweight fight provides another opportunity for fans to watch contenders build momentum.

Flyweight contests often feature quick combinations, footwork and rapid transitions between offense and defense. Maintaining accuracy while controlling distance can be as important as throwing a high volume of strikes.

The matchup is worth watching for its pace and the way both fighters respond to pressure.

Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita

Pico and Keita add a featherweight contest featuring two athletes with experience in high-level combat sports.

For either fighter, a strong performance can help strengthen their position within a competitive division. The important questions will be how they handle pressure, create openings and react when an opponent disrupts their preferred game plan.

The Preliminary Card

The preliminaries also feature established names and developing contenders, including Dominick Reyes, Nikita Krylov, Abus Magomedov, Grant Dawson and their respective opponents.

For fans who follow the UFC beyond championship headlines, the preliminary bouts can provide meaningful context about divisional depth and the next generation of contenders.

UFC 333 Predictions: What Should Fans Look For?

Predictions should distinguish between a fighter’s strengths and a confirmed outcome. No result is guaranteed before the athletes enter the Octagon.

For Volkanovski vs. Evloev, the central issue is whether the champion can keep the fight in striking range often enough to make his boxing and movement decisive. Evloev’s ability to sustain grappling pressure may be just as important.

For Yan vs. Dvalishvili, the primary question is whether Yan can create space and land clean combinations before Dvalishvili’s pace overwhelms the available striking opportunities.

Fans assessing either bout should look beyond a fighter’s name or reputation. Recent performances, opponent quality, conditioning, defensive weaknesses and the specific styles involved all matter.

StakeUFC’s prediction approach: Evaluate the matchup, explain each fighter’s realistic route to victory, and update the analysis if official news changes the card. Avoid presenting betting odds, injury rumours or unconfirmed predictions as facts.

UFC 333 Start Time in India

Indian fans can watch the event on the evening of Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Based on the official U.S. schedule, the expected Indian start times are:

These are scheduled start times, not guaranteed start times for any individual fight. A particular bout may begin later depending on how long earlier fights last.

For the confirmed global schedule, consult the official UFC viewing schedule.

How to Watch UFC 333 Live

In the United States, the UFC lists Paramount+ as the viewing option for the event. Paramount+’s published guide also states that UFC 333 will stream live without a separate pay-per-view purchase in the United States.

Broadcast arrangements differ by country. Fans in India and other international markets should confirm the rights holder and availability in their region before fight night.

The safest way to avoid missing the main event is to check the official UFC event page and the local broadcaster’s schedule during fight week. Do not assume a U.S. streaming arrangement is automatically available in every country.

Why UFC 333 Matters for the Featherweight Division

Volkanovski vs. Evloev is important because it brings together a champion with extensive championship experience and an undefeated challenger whose grappling presents a clear stylistic test.

A title-fight win can reshape the division’s immediate picture. A successful defence would strengthen Volkanovski’s championship position, while a victory for Evloev would represent a major career achievement and give the division a new champion.

The result may also influence future matchmaking. Other contenders will be watching closely to see which technical approaches succeed and what opportunities might open after the championship bout.

The outcome should not be treated as a foregone conclusion. The value of the matchup lies in the fact that both fighters have credible strengths that could shape the result.

Why UFC 333 Matters for the Bantamweight Division

Yan vs. Dvalishvili provides a separate championship storyline with potential consequences for the bantamweight rankings.

Yan’s precision striking and Dvalishvili’s relentless wrestling offer contrasting approaches. A championship result could change the division’s next set of contenders and create new matchmaking possibilities.

For fans, the fight also provides a practical lesson in MMA analysis: the contest is not simply a question of who has the better striking or wrestling in isolation. The decisive issue may be how successfully each fighter can impose that skill against the other’s strengths.

Final Thoughts on UFC 333

UFC 333 brings together two championship fights, a prominent featherweight main event and a supporting card featuring established contenders and rising talent.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev is the headline matchup because it tests the champion’s well-rounded game against an undefeated challenger with a strong grappling foundation. Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili adds another high-level tactical contest with championship implications.

The event is scheduled for October 24, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, with the main card starting at 11:30 PM IST in India. Because fight cards and start times can change, fans should recheck the official UFC listing closer to fight night.

For StakeUFC readers, this page will serve as the event guide for the confirmed card, timings, matchup analysis and viewing information. It should be updated as official changes are announced instead of creating new near-identical articles for every small update.

Frequently Asked Questions About UFC 333

1. When is UFC 333?

UFC 333 is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

2. Who is fighting in the UFC 333 main event?

The scheduled main event is Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev for the UFC Featherweight Championship.

3. Who is fighting in the UFC 333 co-main event?

The scheduled co-main event is Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

4. What time does UFC 333 start in India?

The early prelims are scheduled for 7:30 PM IST, prelims for 9:30 PM IST, and the main card for 11:30 PM IST on October 24, 2026.

5. Where is UFC 333 taking place?

The event is scheduled for Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

6. How many title fights are scheduled for UFC 333?

The announced card includes two title fights: Volkanovski vs. Evloev and Yan vs. Dvalishvili.

7. How can I watch UFC 333 live?

Paramount+ is the listed U.S. viewing option. International broadcast availability depends on the viewer’s country, so check the official UFC schedule and local broadcaster.

8. Is UFC 333 a pay-per-view event?

In the United States, the published Paramount+ guide says UFC 333 will stream without a separate pay-per-view purchase. Other countries may have different viewing arrangements.

9. Is the UFC 333 fight card final?

The card is announced but may change due to injury or other circumstances. Check the official UFC event page for the latest matchups.

10. Who is favoured to win Volkanovski vs. Evloev?

The result is not guaranteed. Volkanovski’s striking and championship experience contrast with Evloev’s wrestling and grappling. The bout may depend on who can impose their preferred style most consistently.

11. Is UFC 333 worth watching?

For fans interested in championship MMA, UFC 333 offers two title fights and several matchups involving established contenders. The strongest attraction is the contrast between Volkanovski’s well-rounded striking and Evloev’s grappling, alongside the Yan-Dvalishvili championship contest.

Article last updated: October 9, 2026.