Alexander Volkanovski is taking Petr Yan in the third fight with Merab Dvalishvili, according to Sportskeeda, which reported the pick for the UFC 333 bantamweight title trilogy.
The report’s headline doesn’t spell out his full breakdown, so treat any detailed reasoning floating around with caution until he says it on the record. The pick itself is clear. Volkanovski likes Yan.
The timing is the fun part. Volkanovski isn’t watching this one from the couch. He headlines the same card against Movsar Evloev on Saturday, Oct. 24, and that fight is a straight 50-50 on Polymarket, Championship Rounds noted on X. Most guys a few days out from a coin-flip main event keep their picks to themselves. Volkanovski handed one out anyway.
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He carries weight on the subject. Volkanovski is 28-4, sits No. 1 at featherweight in the Knockout Daily rankings and is listed on Wikipedia as the current and two-time UFC featherweight champion. He was No. 2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings as of June 16. He also became the oldest man to win the featherweight belt at 36 and the oldest to defend it at 37. Before any of that, he boxed professionally in 2015, so when he grades a striker, he’s grading from experience.
Yan gives him plenty to grade. The Russian is 20-5, ranked No. 1 at bantamweight by Knockout Daily, and Wikipedia lists him as the current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion, with a No. 4 pound-for-pound spot as of Sept. 22. He spent eight years boxing as a kid in Krasnoyarsk Krai and earned Master of Sport in the 64 kg category. His last fight was Dec. 6, 2025, so he’s had a long runway to prepare for the trilogy.
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Fight week has been loose for him, at least on camera. A clip posted by @DovySimuMMA showed a kid at a fan meet and greet challenging Yan to wrestle, and Yan’s answer was a deadpan “you want?” The kid has more courage than half the bantamweight division. That’s a compliment to the kid.
The UFC Brasil account lists the card as an Abu Dhabi event, with prelims at 10 a.m. Brasília time and the main card at 11 a.m., streaming on Paramount+ in Brazil. Daniel Santos, Iasmin Lucindo and Nicolle Caliari are also on the bill.
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Volkanovski gets his answer on Yan and his own answer against Evloev on the same night. If he goes two for two, he’ll have earned the victory lap.
