UFC 333 Lands in Abu Dhabi With 2 Title Fights Headlined by Volkanovski and Yan

Q: After Volkanovski's historic knockout victory, could Aaron Pico's dominant first-round finish fast-track him to the ultimate featherweight title showdown?

Yes — Aaron Pico’s 74-second TKO of Losene Keita likely moved him into the featherweight title conversation immediately, though whether it earns him the very next shot depends on how the UFC weighs his résumé against more established contenders. The timing of Pico’s finish could hardly have been better. On the same card, Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev late in the second round for a historic ninth UFC featherweight title-fight win, extending his hold on the division and resetting the contender line after handing the unbeaten Evloev his first loss. That creates an opening for a fresh challenger, and Pico used it well. Pico’s case is built on the nature of the performance as much as the result. Against Keita, he showed the blend the UFC wants to see at the elite level: an immediate takedown attempt, positional control, then a clean right hand and fast ground-and-pound finish. Afterward, he openly asked for the title fight and said he fought “smart” and got “back to my roots.” Still, Pico is not yet the obvious No. 1 contender on merit alone. He entered UFC 333 outside the very top tier of the rankings, and this was only his second UFC win after a debut loss to Lerone Murphy. Fighters such as Diego Lopes, Murphy and other top-five names remain stronger on pure UFC body of work. So Pico’s finish absolutely fast-tracks him. It may not guarantee the next title shot, but it likely puts him one win — or one favorable booking decision — away from a Volkanovski showdown.

3 articles · Updated · Billboard · Oct 24

Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi hosts UFC 333 on Oct. 24, with Alexander Volkanovski defending the featherweight belt against unbeaten Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan facing Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title.
The card begins at 10 a.m. ET with early prelims, followed by prelims at noon and the main card at 2 p.m. ET.
Paramount+ carries the event for subscribers without a separate pay-per-view fee, with plans priced at $8.99 a month for Essential and $12.99 for the ad-free tier.
The main card also includes Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Ramazan Temirov, Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev and Aaron Pico vs. Losene Keita as the UFC moves to the UAE after UFC 332 in Salt Lake City.

Sources

Billboard12h ago

UFC 333: Volkanovski, Yan Defend Titles in Abu Dhabi on Oct 24

ESPN2h ago

UFC 333 results: Volkanovski and Yan win to retain titles - ESPN

CBS Sports2h ago

UFC 333: Alexander Volkanovski Chases Featherweight History

9 Sources

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After Volkanovski's historic knockout victory, could Aaron Pico's dominant first-round finish fast-track him to the ultimate featherweight title showdown?