Following a thrilling fight card and two spectacular title defenses at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, there is certainly plenty to talk about. Alexander Volkanovski, at 38, passed Brazilian legend Jose Aldo for the most title wins in featherweight history by stopping unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the main event. In the five-round thriller of a co-feature, Petr Yan defended his 135-pound title with a come-from-behind decision win over Merab Dvalishvili in the third meeting between bantamweight legends.
Let's take a closer look at the biggest takeaways from what took place inside Etihad Arena. Admittedly, I really didn't know what to make of the 38-year-old living legend's prediction earlier this week when he said that the unbeaten Evloev was a problem for the rest of the division but just not for him and that he would score an early stoppage. Some passed off those words as gamesmanship with Volkanovski hoping to get Evloev off his game or discourage him from wrestling.
Not only was the two-time featherweight king true to his words in finishing Evloev inside of two rounds with pinpoint striking, he neutralized just about every aspect of his younger opponent's game in the process. Craig Jones, who was in Volkanovski's corner as a grappling coach, also suggested on social media after the fight that the champion was battling the flu during fight week. Volkanovski, who also equaled Aldo's UFC record for featherweight title defenses (along with owning a 2019 win over him), didn't just cement himself as the greatest 145-pound fighter of all time, he continued to redefine what longevity looks like in the lower weight classes.
It's not hyperbole to say that Volkanovski is one of the 10 best fighters in the sport's history. "I said if I didn't take too much damage we probably will keep going, so maybe we keep going!" - @alexvolkanovski 👀[ #UFC333 | LIVE on @paramountplus ] pic.twitter.com/YQESrPPl2i From the broken hand Yan entered with in their first meeting in 2023 to the fact that Dvalishivili took their rematch in December on just a two-month turnaround as he ambitiously looked to set the record for title defenses in a calendar year, both fighters entered Saturday's trilogy with legitimate excuses for their defeats. But 10 months after their rematch, with Yan recently healed from back surgery, the third meeting between these legends was a fast-paced and very technical thriller as a rejuvenated Dvalishvili dominated the opening two rounds with his spamming wrestling attack until Yan made the midfight adjustments and used his striking to hurt the former champion down the stretch in a comeback win.
Three years after Dvalishvili set a new UFC record for takedown attempts with 49 in their first meeting, he upped that record to an absolutely insane 58 in their trilogy. Every single other bantamweight in the world would've eventually succumbed to Dvalishvili's pressure on this night. He was that dialed in and showcased a variety of new entry points and angles for his takedown attempts.
But for the second straight fight, Yan completely took away the superhuman part of Dvalishvili's game that the rest of the division -- throughout the former champion's incredible 14-fight win streak -- were routinely humbled by. Yan's combination of stamina, IQ, toughness and striking technique was legendary on this night as many began to call him, quite possibly, the best bantamweight fighter in history. But it's all part of a larger career comeback story that still isn't getting the attention it deserves as one of the more feel-good developments the sport has produced of late.
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