UFC 333 sets Abu Dhabi attendance and ticket-sales records

UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev set new attendance and ticket-revenue records for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi, with a sold-out crowd at Etihad Arena on Saturday watching two title fights.

Thousands of fans filled the venue after all tickets had been sold, as Abu Dhabi hosted another major night of mixed martial arts. UFC chief executive Dana White praised the event’s international appeal and said he wanted to bring more major UFC shows to the capital.

“We recorded the biggest attendance and highest ticket revenue for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi’s history tonight, with more than 50% of the crowd coming from outside the UAE,” White said.

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

White also revealed that plans were already under way for another event in the city, describing it as something different from previous UFC shows.

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

Volkanovski retains featherweight title

Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight title against the previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the main event.

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

After his victory, Volkanovski said Abu Dhabi held a special place in his career.

“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 experience the generosity and respect of everyone. I love Abu Dhabi very much.”

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

Yan won a closely fought five-round contest by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 48-47 in his favour. The victory added another significant chapter to Yan’s record in Abu Dhabi, where he won his first bantamweight title against Jose Aldo during UFC’s “Fight Island” events in 2020.

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

“This win 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 brought another successful edition of Abu Dhabi Challenge Week to a close, strengthening the capital’s position as a leading international destination for mixed martial arts and major sporting events.