UFC 333 Predictions: Best Bets for Volkov, Keita and Murzakanov

It’s that time of year again when the UFC makes its annual excursion to Abu Dhabi, as UFC 333 takes place on October 24 at the Etihad Arena.

The main event will see the UFC featherweight championship at stake when Alexander Volkanovski defends the title against Movsar Evloev.

This will be Volkanovski’s second defense in his second reign as UFC featherweight champion. He reclaimed the then-vacant championship with a decision win over Diego Lopes at UFC 314. He retained in another decision over Lopes at UFC 325.

Evloev is 20-0, having been dominant in most of his outing since arriving to the UFC in 2019. He comes into this bout winning a title eliminator against Lerone Murphy, albeit via a controversial majority decision.

Gold will also be on the line in the co-main event, as Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili clash with the bantamweight championship at stake in their trilogy bout.

Dvalishvili defeated Yan in their first encounter in March 2023 before going on to win the bantamweight title at Noche UFC 2 about a year and a half later. In 2025, Dvalishvili successfully defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen, before dropping the title to Yan in a rematch.

This will be both men’s first fight since that second encounter.

The UFC 333 main card will also feature Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Ramazan Temirov, Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev, and Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita.

ALEXANDER VOLKOV VS RIZVAN KUNIEV

One has got to feel for Volkov. He’s won six of his last seven, has a controversial loss to Ciryl Gane (the new UFC heavyweight champion), has won a title eliminator at UFC 321, but it’s Josh Hokit, and not him, who’s getting the first crack at Gane. Instead, Volkov has to defend his ranking against a rising fighter in Kuniev. Kuniev has fought only three times in the UFC but has benefited from victories in a weak heavyweight division.

Volkov will have the physical advantage in this bout. He’s got to use his jab and control the distance, keeping Kuniev at bay while landing on Kuniev from reach. For Kuniev to be successful here, he has to get inside and make this a dogfight. He has to make Volkov uncomfortable and disrupt his flow; however, that’s easier said than done.

BET: Volkov via decision (+185)

AARON PICO VS LOSENE KEITA

This could end up being one of the most fun fights on the card. Pico is a longtime Bellator prospect-turned-contender who will be competing in his third Octagon bout. Pico was knocked out in highlight fashion by Lerone Murphy but rebounded with a win over Patricio Pitbull. Keita, meanwhile, lost his UFC debut earlier this year before delivering a memorable knockout of Muhammad Naimov, complete with self-appreciating celebration.

Both men are looking to prove something here. Pico is known for his great wrestling skills, but he’s shown flashes of knockout power, proving an ability to catch Keita with something. Keita, however, doesn’t just have power in his own fists – he’s also got some speedy hands. As long as he doesn’t leave any openings, and as long as he keeps his distance, he can punish Pico for leaving himself open.

BET: Keita via KO/TKO (+230)

AZAMAT MURZAKANOV VS DOMINICK REYES

Murzakanov was making his way up the light heavyweight ranks as an unbeaten knockout artist who seemed dangerous. Here, however, he’s looking to bounce back after getting knocked out by Paulo Costa. Reyes, meanwhile, is looking to continue a late-career resurgence. He’s won four of five since his June 2024 return, with his sole loss in that span coming to current champion Carlos Ulberg. He enters off a split decision over Johnny Walker.

Reyes will have the height and reach edge in this one, and he’ll look to use his limbs to land strong shots while keeping his distance. Murzakanov, however, is explosive and has shown a great ability to counterpunch. He’ll look to pressure Reyes and find his power. If he does so, it’s bad news for the former light heavyweight title challenger.

BET: Murzakanov via KO/TKO (-120)