Volkanovski and Evloev Go Face to Face at UFC 333 Press Conference in Abu Dhabi

The final promotional stop before Saturday's UFC 333 delivered exactly what fans hoped for, as featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Movsar Evloev faced off in front of the media at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The press conference, overseen by UFC CEO Dana White, brought together the four fighters headlining Saturday's card. Volkanovski (28-4) and Evloev (20-0) stood nose to nose with White between them, while bantamweight champion Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili (21-3) had their own staredown for the co-main event — a meeting the promotion has branded "The Last Chapter" of their trilogy rivalry. UFC 333 takes place at the Etihad Arena on October 24 and airs on Paramount+. The main event pits the 38-year-old Australian champion against the 32-year-old undefeated Evloev, who enters on a five-fight winning streak and carries a 10-0 UFC record. In the co-headliner, Yan defends the bantamweight crown against former champion Dvalishvili, with their series tied at one win apiece after Yan's commanding rematch victory in December 2025. The build-up also carried some lighter moments, with Volkanovski dressing as his Street Fighter character Joe and former champion Alexander Volkov posing as a UFC rookie to ask White how he could earn a title shot.