Tactical Traps and Buzzsaws: Breaking Down the UFC 333 Title Fights

UFC 333 arrives this Saturday in Abu Dhabi featuring two championship clashes that hinge on whether the incumbents can repeat past successes or if the challengers have found a tactical opening, as Sportsnet first reported.

In the main event, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski faces the undefeated Movsar Evloev. Sportsnet reports that Volkanovski's best route is to utilize a game plan similar to his first fight against Islam Makhachev, relying on his ability to land larger strikes if the bout remains standing. However, Evloev may find a window of opportunity due to Volkanovski's age; having just turned 38, the champion may face diminishing reflexes. Evloev's path involves utilizing pace and mixing wrestling with the striking that led to his decision victory over Lerone Murphy.

In the bantamweight co-main event, Petr Yan defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout. Sportsnet notes that Yan previously neutralized Dvalishvili to win the belt and can retain the title by emulating that performance. For Dvalishvili, the previous strategy of chaining takedowns failed, resulting in only 2-of-29 successful attempts. Sportsnet reports that Dvalishvili cannot rely on the same plan—which may have been hampered by multiple weight cuts in 2025—and must instead take more risks on the feet to open up his grappling.