While both champions who topped the UFC 333 fight card successfully defended their belts, their next moves will likely be in different directions.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski needed only two rounds to put away formerly unbeaten challenger Movsar Evloev. Now, he could try his luck again in the weight class that is home to two of his three UFC losses.
Meanwhile, men’s bantamweight champion Petr Yan beat Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to close his trilogy with the former titleholder. Yan could follow his trilogy bout with another rematch, as two possible challengers have already faced him in the Octagon — including one who already holds a victory over Yan.
Let’s take a look at the most likely scenarios and a wild card for Volkanovski, Yan and more winners and losers on the UFC 333 main card.
Alexander Volkanovski, featherweight champion
Who should be next: Charles Oliveira
If Oliveira successfully defends the BMF title against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 in December, this is the fight to make. Both are MMA legends, and neither has shown signs of falling off. Making this fight in 2027 wouldn’t feel like an attempt to squeeze name value out of two fading fighters. It would feel as if it was happening right at the right time. The BMF angle doesn’t add much for me, but if the UFC is going to keep that belt going, Volkanovski is more than qualified to fight for it. It would also give Volkanovski a chance to prove himself as a lightweight title contender. He told ESPN in September he didn’t love the idea of jumping the line at lightweight to fight Justin Gaethje, especially with an obvious title challenger like Arman Tsarukyan. The BMF fight would legitimize the winner as a real challenger for the 155-pound belt.
Wild card: Tsarukyan
Gaethje hasn’t said whether he intends to fight again. If he does, Tsarukyan is next. Gaethje has said he’s next in line, and the UFC has told Tsarukyan he is. But if Gaethje decides to walk into the sunset after that White House win in June, there’d obviously be a vacant slot. Volkanovski deserves it. Send him straight into the title shot against Tsarukyan.
Movsar Evloev, featherweight
Who should be next: Pat Sabatini
I didn’t love Evloev’s choice of words, of “maybe I’ll try again,” regarding his future as a featherweight title challenger. Perhaps chalk that up to English being his second language. Hopefully, he won’t be too discouraged by his first loss coming at the hands of the greatest 145-pounder ever. Regardless of his mindset, he is undeniably in a tough spot. It took him a long time to get to the top. It’s probably a safe bet it will take him a while to get back. He will be in the position of gatekeeper for a minute. There’s no other way to say it. The most obvious name in that group right now is Sabatini, who is 9-2 in the UFC.
Wild card: Steve Garcia
Garcia would be the second-most obvious name in that category, coming off a loss to Diego Lopes at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Petr Yan, men’s bantamweight champion
Who should be next: Sean O’Malley
Yan vs. O’Malley is the biggest fight available. Has O’Malley really earned a title shot? Since losing to Merab Dvalishvili in 2024 and 2025, he’s only 2-0 — with a close win over Song Yadong and a knockout of Aiemann Zahabi. Those two wins don’t scream title shot, to be fair. But it’s also impossible to strongly argue against O’Malley. He holds a victory (albeit a controversial one) over Yan from 2022. Beyond O’Malley, Song has the strongest case for a title shot — and O’Malley just beat him in January. Even if you thought O’Malley lost to Yan back in 2022, it was a fantastic, competitive fight. We always knew the UFC would revisit it someday. I don’t see why that day wouldn’t be now.
Wild card: Song
If the UFC wants to give Yan this rematch instead, I’m in favor. It makes the most sense to go with O’Malley, but as a fight fan, I like the idea of Yan vs. Song, probably because of how Song knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov with one shot in the pocket. Yan vs. O’Malley would be an interesting chess match, but Song’s firepower and speed are game changers. Yan will likely face both fighters eventually. O’Malley makes more sense to come first for a variety of reasons, but the more explosive matchup for Yan might be Song.
Merab Dvalishvili, men’s bantamweight
Who should be next: Umar Nurmagomedov
I wouldn’t expect Dvalishvili to sit on the sideline very long. He was just forced to wait 10 months for his trilogy bout with Yan, and now he’s coming off the disappointment of his second loss in a row. I imagine he’ll be eager to get back in the cage. The Nurmagomedov rematch is honestly a no-brainer. There’s genuine heat between them. Nurmagomedov will presumably want to return by January, before he observes the Muslim holiday of Ramadan beginning in February. Their first fight was fight of the night at UFC 311 in January 2025. Nurmagomedov broke his hand early in that bout, and Dvalishvili later revealed he fought through injuries during camp. Now, both are coming off a loss, which the UFC loves to consider in matchmaking. There’s a million reasons to run this one back, and I expect the UFC to do it.
Wild card: Payton Talbott
This makes sense for obvious reasons. It’s a big jump in competition for Talbott, but he has earned the right to make it. Talbott has shown the kind of potential the UFC can — and will — reward with shortcuts. He doesn’t need to beat Nos. 5 through 10 in the divisional rankings to earn a title shot. It still feels early for Talbott to make this sort of leap, but it’s also the right moment to face a former champion. If Talbott loses, it’s no big deal, because, at 28 years old, he still has plenty of time. If he wins, he becomes a legitimate title contender overnight.
Aaron Pico, featherweight
Who should be next: Jean Silva
I suggested this matchup after Pico’s last win over Patricio Pitbull in April, and I see no reason not to double down. On paper, it’s arguably the most explosive fight in the division — especially with Diego Lopes moving to lightweight to fight Charles Oliveira in December. Silva would be a big jump up the rankings for Pico, but honestly, it’s a bigger fight for Silva than most other potential top-10 matchups. Pico has always shown unmatched potential, but has fallen victim to devastating finishes throughout his career. This potential UFC Fight Night main event would be one of the scariest fights in the division for Pico. Let’s see how he handles it.
Wild card: Youssef Zalal
Zalal, 30, has had an interesting career. He signed with the UFC in 2020 with a lot of hype, then went 0-3 and was cut in 2021. He fought his way back to the promotion and won five in a row before losing to Aljamain Sterling in April. A matchup against Pico would pit two featherweights against each other who have shown immense potential but haven’t fully realized it.
