UFC 333 draws record Abu Dhabi crowd as Dana White teases one-of-a-kind show

UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev set a new attendance and ticket-revenue record for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi, with a sold-out Etihad Arena hosting thousands of fans on Saturday evening.

The event, which featured two title fights, attracted an international audience, with more than 50% of spectators travelling from outside the United Arab Emirates.

UFC chief executive Dana White praised the turnout and said he wanted to bring more major events to the capital.

“We recorded the biggest attendance and highest ticket revenue for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi tonight, and more than 50% of the fans came from outside the United Arab Emirates,” White said.

“I look forward to staging more major events here in Abu Dhabi in the future.”

White also revealed that plans were already under way for a new event which he described as unlike anything previously held in the city.

“We are currently working on a one-of-a-kind event, and we expect it to attract fans from all over the world,” he said. “Before travelling to Abu Dhabi, I had already seen some of the concepts for the event, and I look forward to revealing more details soon.”

Volkanovski and Yan retain titles

Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight title by stopping previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the second round of the main event.

The champion ended the fight with a barrage of punches at 4:54 of the second round, handing the top-ranked Evloev the first defeat of his professional career.

Afterwards, Volkanovski said Abu Dhabi held a special place in his career and that UFC 333 marked his fifth visit to the city.

“Abu Dhabi is a special place for me, and this is my fifth visit here,” he said. “Every time I come to the city, I receive a wonderful welcome and feel the generosity and respect of everyone. I love Abu Dhabi very much.”

In the co-main event, Petr Yan retained the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in their third meeting.

Yan prevailed after five competitive rounds by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the contest 48-47 in his favour.

The victory added another memorable chapter to Yan’s career in Abu Dhabi. He won his first bantamweight title against Jose Aldo in the capital during the 2020 Fight Island events.

“I am very happy with this victory, and I am still taking in the moment,” Yan said. “I am pleased to celebrate another win here in Abu Dhabi.”

“This victory means a lot to me, my team, my family and everyone who has supported me. I would like to thank fans around the world for their continued support.”

On the rest of the main card, Lone’er Kavanagh stopped Ramazan Temirov by technical knockout in the first round. Alexander Volkov beat Rizvan Kuniev by unanimous decision, while Aaron Pico defeated Losene Keita by first-round technical knockout.

The event concluded another edition of Abu Dhabi Combat Week, reinforcing the capital’s position as a leading international destination for mixed martial arts and major sporting events.