UFC 333 post-event facts: History made in both championship fights

UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi delivered a night of historic title defenses, even as the belts stayed in the same hands. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski retained his crown with a second‑round TKO over Movsar Evloev, extending his run of nine championship bout victories— the most in division history. Evloev’s 20‑fight winning streak ended, the longest active run on the roster, and his 53 takedowns rank second in featherweight history.

In the bantamweight arena, Petr Yan secured his first title defense of his second reign by unanimous decision against Merab Dvalishvili. Yan’s 13 UFC victories tie him for third most in the division, and his 1,584 significant strikes set a new record for bantamweights. Dvalishvili, meanwhile, logged 124 takedowns in UFC competition, the most in company history, and attempted a single‑fight record 58 takedowns.

The card also featured notable moments beyond the title fights. Lone’er Kavanagh earned his first UFC stoppage, while Ramazan Temirov suffered his first knockout loss. Heavyweight bout saw Alexander Volkov’s 15th win tie him for fourth in heavyweight history. Aaron Pico’s 11th stoppage victory highlighted his finishing prowess, and Dominick Reyes added a seventh knockout to his light‑heavyweight tally, tying for third most in that division.

Other storylines included Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev’s four‑fight stoppage streak in light‑heavyweight, Abus Magomedov’s first submission loss, and Grant Dawson’s continued success after moving up to lightweight. The event’s total fight time clocked 2:21:32, and betting favorites finished 10‑2, with two bouts ending at even odds. UFC 333 proved that while champions can keep their belts, the sport continues to write new records and surprising narratives.

Source: UFC 333 post-event facts: History made in both championship fights