UFC 333 Tips & Predictions - Volkanovski vs Evloev

UFC 333 - Quick Picks

Our pick: Volkanovski to win by decision.

Value bet: Petr Yan to win by KO/TKO.

An Aussie icon, one of the GOATs and everyone’s favourite Instagram chef,  Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski is back, this time at UFC 333 Abu Dhabi.

A shoo-in for the UFC Hall of Fame – Volk has already established himself as one of the greatest athletes this country has ever produced. At UFC 333, he gets the chance to put his name somewhere no featherweight has ever been.

Volk's win over Diego Lopes in Sydney in February was his eighth featherweight title win, drawing him level with the great José Aldo. One more and the record is his outright, he’ll be undisputable as the greatest featherweight of all time.

Standing in the way is Movsar Evloev, a Russian wrestler, in his prime. Evloev is 20-0 in professional MMA and has never tasted defeat. A highly dangerous prospect who has cleared out the division on his way to the title shot.

Beat him and Volk doesn't just retain the belt, he hands the No.1 contender the first loss of his career.

And the setting? Abu Dhabi, the city where Islam Makhachev knocked Volk out in 2023. Three years on, he's back as champion.

Right behind them, Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili meet for a third time with the bantamweight belt up for grabs. It's one win apiece so far, with Petr Yan dominating their last contest at UFC 323.

The card is at Etihad Arena on Sunday, October 25, with the main card starting from 5:00am AEDT. It’s going to be an absolute banger, set the alarm.

For the latest news, analysis and UFC 333 odds, check out our UFC 333 main card tips and predictions below.

Alexander Volkanovski vs Movsar Evloev Tips & Predictions

Legacy fights don't come much bigger than this.

Starting with his title win over Max Holloway in December 2019, Volk has had 11 straight title fights. He's beaten Holloway, Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez and Lopes twice, while pushing the current pound-for-pound champ Islam Mackhachev to the absolute limit in a decision loss.

He's a two-time champion, and at 38, he's still landing an average of 5.99 significant strikes per minute.

Plenty of people wrote him off after the losses to Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. All he's done since is win back the vacant featherweight crowd and add one more defence to-boot.

Evloev is the toughest puzzle left. His recipe is simple: takedown, top control, repeat. Classic Russian, wrestling-heavy approach.

He averages 4.78 takedowns per 15 minutes and he's beaten Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes and Lerone Murphy on the way here.

The catch? All 10 of his UFC wins have gone to the judges. He has never finished anyone in the Octagon, and nobody has finished him either.

Not exactly an excitement machine.

So, can the greatest featherweight Australia has ever produced solve the one problem nobody else has?

Volkanovski vs Evloev - Record

Let's take a quick look at how these two have performed in their last five fights.

Volkanovski's last five fights:

Diego Lopes - Win (UD, 5) - Feb 2026

Diego Lopes - Win (UD, 5) - Apr 2025

Ilia Topuria - Loss (KO, 2) - Feb 2024

Islam Makhachev - Loss (KO, 1) - Oct 2023

Yair Rodriguez - Win (TKO, 3) - Jul 2023

Evloev's last five fights:

Lerone Murphy - Win (MD, 5) - Mar 2026

Aljamain Sterling - Win (UD, 3) - Dec 2024

Arnold Allen - Win (UD, 3) - Jan 2024

Diego Lopes - Win (UD, 3) - May 2023

Dan Ige - Win (UD, 3) - Jun 2022

Volkanovski vs Evloev: Expert Prediction

Our prediction is that Volkanovski’s incredible takedown defence, relentless motor and strong standup game will keep this fight on the feet across five rounds.

Volk has shown these skills before against Makhachev, who is known as one of the greatest Russian grapplers ever to compete in the UFC.

Makhachev is a bigger body than Evloev, with more advanced striking. Movsar won’t so easily take the dominant position he’s used to against Volk’s championship level defensive wrestling, which will frustrate and tire him.

Evloev has every chance and if he’s able to control the early rounds with the wrestling, he could edge a decision.

But Volk has been here 11 fights in a row and his output and fight IQ should be enough to win the late rounds.

Write him off at your own peril.

Betting tip: Volkanovski to win by decision.

Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili 3 Tips & Predictions

Dvalishvili won the first fight by unanimous decision in March 2023. Yan won the rematch at UFC 323 in December 2025, taking the title and ending Merab's 14-fight winning streak.

So, who takes the decider?

Dvalishvili's game is pace and pressure. He averages 5.97 takedowns per 15 minutes, the kind of number that wears opponents down over 25 minutes.

Yan is the sharper striker, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute, and the rematch showed he has found answers to Merab's relentless style.

How do the two compare?

Yan vs Dvalishvili – Record

Yan's last five fights:

Merab Dvalishvili - Win (UD, 5) - Dec 2025

Marcus McGhee - Win (UD, 3) - Jul 2025

Deiveson Figueiredo - Win (UD, 5) - Nov 2024

Song Yadong - Win (UD, 3) - Mar 2024

Merab Dvalishvili - Loss (UD, 5) - Mar 2023

Dvalishvili's last five fights:

Petr Yan - Loss (UD, 5) - Dec 2025

Cory Sandhagen - Win (UD, 5) - Oct 2025

Sean O'Malley - Win (Sub, 3) - Jun 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov - Win (UD, 5) - Jan 2025

Sean O'Malley - Win (UD, 5) - Sep 2024

Yan vs Dvalishvili - Expert Prediction

Yan is on a four-fight winning streak and has the momentum from the rematch. He dominated the last contest with elite striking and looked almost impossible to take down.

We're backing the champ to win the trilogy, with a good chance of finishing the fight by KO/TKO.

Betting tip: Yan to win.

Lone’er Kavanagh vs Ramazan Temirov Tips & Predictions

This flyweight scrap has big implications for the top of the division.

Temirov hasn't lost since 2019. He's won 12 in a row, is 3-0 in the UFC and has 12 KO/TKO wins, including a first-round knockout of Steve Erceg in July.

Kavanagh is ranked No.6 and went five rounds with Brandon Moreno to win in February, after taking the fight on about three weeks' notice. He's coming off a third-round submission loss to Brandon Royval.

How do the two compare?

Kavanagh vs Temirov - Record

Kavanagh's last five fights:

Brandon Royval - Loss (Sub, 3) - Jul 2026

Brandon Moreno - Win (UD, 5) - Feb 2026

Charles Johnson - Loss (KO, 2) - Aug 2025

Felipe dos Santos - Win (UD, 3) - Mar 2025

Jose Ochoa - Win (UD, 3) - Nov 2024

Temirov's last five fights:

Steve Erceg - Win (KO, 1) - Jul 2026

Charles Johnson - Win (UD, 3) - Mar 2025

CJ Vergara - Win (TKO, 1) - Oct 2024

Takaki Soya - Win (KO, 1) - Sep 2023

Yuta Hamamoto - Win (TKO, 1) - May 2023

Kavanagh vs Temirov - Expert Prediction

Kavanagh has the height and reach advantage, but Temirov's power and form are hard to ignore. We like the Uzbek to keep the streak going.

Betting tip: Temirov to win.

Alexander Volkov vs Rizvan Kuniev Tips & Predictions

The heavyweights are next and there's a lot of size in this one.

Volkov stands 6'7" with an 80-inch reach, and his 14 UFC heavyweight wins have him tied for sixth in division history. He's 40-11 as a pro and has won his last two.

Kuniev is 2-1 in the UFC, with the loss a split decision against Curtis Blaydes on debut. All three of his career losses have gone to the judges, so he's never been stopped.

Both have beaten Jailton Almeida since October last year, too.

How do the two compare?

Kavanagh vs Temirov - Record

Volkov's last five fights:

Waldo Cortes-Acosta - Win (UD, 3) - May 2026

Jailton Almeida - Win (SD, 3) - Oct 2025

Ciryl Gane - Loss (SD, 3) - Dec 2024

Sergei Pavlovich - Win (UD, 3) - Jun 2024

Tai Tuivasa - Win (Sub, 2) - Sep 2023

Kuniev's last five fights:

Tyrell Fortune - Win (TKO, 3) - Jul 2026

Jailton Almeida - Win (UD, 3) - Feb 2026

Curtis Blaydes - Loss (SD, 3) - Jun 2025

Hugo Cunha - Win (TKO, 1) - Aug 2024

Renan Ferreira - No Contest - Apr 2023

Volkov vs Kuniev Expert Prediction

Volkov's reach and experience should let him control the range. We're tipping Volkov to play it safe and stay on the outside using his jab. We think the judges will be needed to decide this one.

Betting tip: Fight to go the distance.

Aaron Pico vs Losene Keita Tips & Predictions

Losene Keita stepped in after Arnold Allen withdrew injured.

He's 17-2 with 11 KO/TKO wins, and he's a former double champion in Oktagon MMA. His last outing was a first-round knockout of Muhammad Naimov in Paris in September.

Pico is a former US Olympic wrestling alternate who made his name in Bellator. He bounced back from a knockout loss to Lerone Murphy by beating Patricio Pitbull on points at UFC 327 in April.

How do the two compare?

Pico vs Keita - Record

Pico's last five fights:

Patricio Pitbull - Win (UD, 3) - Apr 2026

Lerone Murphy - Loss (KO, 1) - Aug 2025

Henry Corrales - Win (TKO, 1) - Feb 2024

Pedro Carvalho - Win (TKO, 1) - Sep 2023

James Gonzalez - Win (UD, 3) - Apr 2023

Keita's last five fights:

Muhammad Naimov - Win (KO, 1) - Sep 2026

Nathaniel Wood - Loss (SD, 3) - Mar 2026

Ronald Paradeiser - Win (TKO, 2) - Dec 2024

Mateusz Legierski - Win (UD, 3) - Sep 2024

Predrag Bogdanovic - Win (TKO, 2) - Jul 2024

Pico vs Keita – Expert Prediction

If Pico gets this to the mat, it should be his night. We're backing his wrestling to do the job against the kickboxing heavy style of Keita. 

Betting tip: Pico to win.

Odds are subject to change.*