UFC 333 draws biggest crowd in Abu Dhabi history

Abu Dhabi: The UFC made history in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, with its latest event at Etihad Arena recording the highest attendance and gate revenue for a UFC show in the UAE capital.

Thousands of fans packed the sold-out venue for a night of championship action headlined by Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title defence against Movsar Evloev, while UFC chief executive Dana White praised Abu Dhabi’s ability to attract a global audience and deliver major sporting events.

White revealed that more than half of the spectators had travelled from outside the UAE, highlighting the event’s international appeal and the economic benefits it brought to the capital.

“Tonight was the highest attendance for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi history. Highest gate,” White said. “And over 50 per cent of the fans came from outside the UAE.”

“They spent money to come here, flights, hotel rooms, everything. You want to deliver. You want to have an event like we had tonight.”

The record-breaking night further underlined Abu Dhabi’s growing status as a destination for major international sporting events, with White making clear that the UFC intends to continue bringing high-profile shows to the emirate.

“I plan to have lots of great events here in Abu Dhabi again,” he said.

White also hinted at an ambitious future project that could bring an even more distinctive UFC experience to the region, suggesting the organisation is already exploring ideas for an event that would attract visitors from around the world.

“We’re working on an event right now that will be very unique and people from all over the world will want to come see,” White said. “I already started to see renderings of what we could possibly do before I flew to Abu Dhabi. I look forward to announcing that soon.”

Inside the Octagon, Volkanovski retained his featherweight crown with a second-round technical knockout victory over previously unbeaten Evloev. The Australian stopped the No. 1 contender with punches at 4:54 of the round, handing him the first defeat of his professional career.

Volkanovski, who has now competed in Abu Dhabi five times, also spoke warmly about his experiences in the UAE capital.

“Abu Dhabi is always great. This is my fifth time here in Abu Dhabi. I get treated so well over here. Everyone’s very hospitable and they show so much respect. I love it here,” he said.

The co-main event delivered another championship contest, with Petr Yan defeating Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to retain his bantamweight title. All three judges scored the five-round bout 48-47 in Yan’s favour, giving him victory in the third meeting between the two fighters.

Yan previously won the bantamweight championship against Jose Aldo in Abu Dhabi during UFC Fight Island in 2020, making Saturday’s success another significant moment in his relationship with the city.

“I feel excellent. I’m still processing my win, but I feel great and happy to share this moment again in Abu Dhabi,” Yan said.

The main card also saw Lone’er Kavanagh defeat Ramazan Temirov by first-round TKO, Alexander Volkov earn a unanimous decision against Rizvan Kuniev, and Aaron Pico stop Losene Keita in the opening round.

The event brought another edition of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week to a close, with the record attendance and gate providing a further boost to the capital’s reputation as a host of elite combat sports.

For White, the success of Saturday’s show has only strengthened the UFC’s ambitions in Abu Dhabi, with the organisation already considering what comes next.