UFC 333 Best Bets for Abu Dhabi: Evloev by Decision, Yan & More

Saturday's UFC 333 card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi features two championship fights, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight belt against undefeated Movsar Evloev. Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili settle their bantamweight rivalry in the co-main event, while Alexander Volkov and Ramazan Temirov are also on the five-fight main card. Plenty to choose from as I make my UFC 333 best bets.

I'm leaning into the scorecards in both title fights rather than paying moneyline prices. My top pick is Evloev by decision at +155, and I'm also taking Yan by decision at +135. Volkov is my one straight moneyline play, while Temirov by KO/TKO gives me a plus-money finish prop

UFC 333 best bets

See all of our UFC picks for this weekend's fights

Total wagered: 7 units | Max profit: 9.25 units

My best UFC 333 pick: Evloev by decision (+155) vs. Volkanovski

Movsar Evloev has spent his entire UFC career proving he can win rounds. He's 20-0 professionally and 10-0 in the promotion, with every UFC victory coming by decision. At +155, I don't need him to suddenly become a finisher against one of the greatest featherweights ever.

Evloev’s recent win showed how he can get it done. After spending the first two rounds striking with Lerone Murphy, Evloev completed nine of 10 takedowns over the final three rounds. He averages roughly 4.8 takedowns per 15 minutes, and that wrestling volume should test Volkanovski's ability to get off the fence and reset.

Volkanovski remains an excellent scrambler and a much busier striker, so Evloev could lose rounds if his entries stall. But I’m good to fade Volk, who is now 38 years old. 

I like the challenger's persistence over 25 minutes. At +155, I'm backing Evloev to control enough of the action for a decision.

More UFC 333 predictions

Check out our best UFC betting sites for the latest odds for this weekend's fights.

Yan by decision (+135) vs. Dvalishvili

Petr Yan already showed us exactly how he can beat Merab Dvalishvili. In their December 2025 rematch, Yan held the relentless wrestler to two takedowns on 29 attempts while completing five of nine himself. He also edged the significant-strike count 139-134 and landed 60% of his significant strikes. That's a remarkably clean performance against an opponent who usually wins by overwhelming people with volume.

Dvalishvili dominated their first meeting in 2023, landing 11 takedowns, so I'm not dismissing his ability to make adjustments. But Yan's defensive wrestling looked much better in the rematch, and both previous meetings lasted the full five rounds.

Yan has won four straight entering the trilogy, and his most likely route is keeping enough of this fight standing to win exchanges. At +135, I'll take another Yan decision rather than the more expensive moneyline.

Volkov to win (-125) vs. Kuniev

Alexander Volkov has won six of his last seven fights, with his only defeat a disputed split decision against Ciryl Gane. He followed that with decision wins over Jailton Almeida and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, showing he can manage dangerous opponents without needing a knockout.

The physical matchup also favours Volkov. He's 6-foot-7 with an 80-inch reach, giving him three inches in height and four inches in reach over Rizvan Kuniev. His jab, kicks and experience should make Kuniev work to get inside rather than settle into a comfortable striking rhythm.

Kuniev is a serious threat after beating Almeida and stopping Tyrell Fortune, and his ability to close distance is the obvious concern. But I'm more comfortable trusting Volkov's 15-minute game than guessing whether he wins by decision or stoppage. At -125, I'll take the straight moneyline.

Temirov by KO/TKO (+185) vs. Kavanagh

Ramazan Temirov has unusual knockout power for a flyweight. Twelve of his 20 professional victories have come by KO/TKO, and 11 of his wins ended in Round 1. He stopped CJ Vergara in the opening round of his UFC debut and did the same to Steve Erceg in July, dropping Erceg before finishing him at 4:21.

Lone'er Kavanagh has a four-inch reach advantage and enough technical striking to frustrate Temirov at distance. He also showed his quality by beating Brandon Moreno over five rounds. But Charles Johnson knocked him out last year, and Brandon Royval submitted him in July, so there are recent examples of dangerous opponents breaking through.

Temirov doesn't need many clean connections to change a fight. At +185, I'm willing to risk one unit on his pressure and power eventually catching Kavanagh

UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev fight 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
• Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita, Featherweight
• Azamat Murzakanov vs. Dominick Reyes, Light Heavyweight
• Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, Light Heavyweight
• Abus Magomedov vs. Cam Rowston, Middleweight
• Grant Dawson vs. Nurullo Aliev, Lightweight
• Colby Thicknesse vs. Asaf Chopurov, Bantamweight
• Abubakar Vagaev vs. Jacob Malkoun, Middleweight
• Bolaji Oki vs. Daniel Santos, Featherweight
• Kody Steele vs. Noah Gugnon, Lightweight
• Iasmin Lucindo vs. Nicolle Caliari, Women’s Strawweight

How to watch UFC 333

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
• Early prelims: 10 a.m. ET
• Prelims: Noon ET
• Main card: 2 p.m. ET
• Location: Etihad Arena (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
• Streaming: Paramount+ (U.S.)