UFC 333 crashed yesterday (Saturday, October 24, 2026) inside the Etihad Arena in Dubai, UAE. Alexander Volkanovsky stop Movsar Evloev in the second round of his featherweight title fight (highlights). At the joint main event Peter Yan retained his 135-pound belt in defeat Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision, which was an epic end to their trilogy (see it here).
Winner: Alexander Volkanovsky
Who should he face next: Aljamain Sterling (if he beats Kevin Vallejo) or move up to lightweight
“The Big One” made another performance after stopping Evloev via second-round technical knockout (TKO).his second consecutive title defense. There aren’t many top contenders Volk has yet to face at 145 pounds, but one fight that could happen is one again. Aljamain Sterlingwho sits at No. 4 and would provide another fresh challenge to the champion, but is currently slated to accept Kevin Vallejo next month. But to be honest, this fight doesn’t do much for me at this stage in Volkanovski’s career. He’ll be back for at least one more fight, as he claimed after the fight, so if his time in MMA is coming to an end, I’d rather see him try to become a champion by moving up to challenge the lightweight champion. it said it MUST NOT be against current titleholder Justin Gaethjejust yet. The next title should go Arman Tsarukyanso if “The Big One” wants to move up, he can look to the winner of this potential matchup.
Who he should face next: Sean O’Malley
Yan was able to hold on to his 135-pound belt, defeating Dvalishvili for the second time to end their rivalry. For my money, I’d love to see Yan face O’Malley in his next title fight at The Song Yadong seemed to be driven by promotion as the next candidate, inviting him to participate in Abu Dhabi and receive shouts Daniel Cormierso it seems to everyone that “Suga” is being pushed aside. Yan himself isn’t too excited about facing O’Malley next either, but it may be on the order since “Suga” beat Yadong earlier this year. In addition, the plot is already built in Yan vs. O’Malley for a rematch after “Suga” defeated “No Mercy” via razor blade split decision at UFC 280.
Winner: Lone’er Kavanagh
Who should he face next: Tatsuro Taira
Kavanagh returned to the winning column with an impressive knockout win Ramazan Temirov (see it here), making him 2-2 in his last four fights. Currently ranked 6th, it will be interesting to see if this win is enough to get him into the Top 5. I wouldn’t mind seeing him face off against Taira, who is currently ranked #4 in the division. He was last seen losing to current champion Joshua Van in a title fight. I think this will be a great rematch for both men and a fresh fight at 125 pounds.
Who he should face next: Wait and see
Volkov lobbied for a title shot before the event and earned himself a victory with a win Rizvan KunievThat said, I just don’t think it’s enough to get him for the next title shot. This is because Sergei Pavlovich and Alex Pereira falls at UFC 335, and the winner of this fight may very well meet the winner Cyril Gane vs. Josh Hockey at UFC 334. This leaves Volkov as the odd man out for a moment. He could always play a long waiting game and then sit out for the next shot, but that can be a dangerous game because Tom Aspinall still waiting to be cleared. And since he vacated the strap due to his eye injury, he could very well be lobbying for an immediate bump upon his return. For now, Volkov will have to wait and see how the rest of the year plays out before seeing who he lines up against next, as he doesn’t make sense to face anyone outside of the Top 4.
Who should he face next: Arnold Allen
Pico won his second consecutive fight under the UFC banner by technical knockout (TKO) Losene Keita (see it here), who replaced Arnold Allen at short notice suffered an injury. I still want to see the Allen vs Pico fight. Allen is currently ranked #6, while Pico is #14. I don’t know how much of a boost he’ll get with this win, but booking around the Allen fight just makes sense. Pico demanded a rematch Lerone Murphy, who knocked him out at UFC 319but I just don’t see the point any time soon.
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