Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan expect UFC 333 to live up to the hype.
The top two fights of Saturday’s event in Abu Dhabi are two of the most anticipated championship fights in recent memory, with featherweight champion Volkanovski taking on the undefeated Movsar Evloev in the main event, and bantamweight champion Petr Yan settling his rivalry with Merab Dvalishvili in a co-main trilogy bout.
Watch their final faceoffs below from Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins.
Afterwards, all four fighters were given the chance to speak, starting with Dvalishvili, who said simply, “This is going to be an exciting fight. And new.”
With both men at the front of the GOAT conversation at 135 pounds, Yan responded that on Saturday, “I show you who’s best of the best.”
Evloev, 10-0 in the UFC, vowed that his long climb to the top of the division will end in a championship victory.
“All the work has been done,” Evloev said. “Everything that needs to be said has been said. And now I need to do things I’ve been working on for so long. Let’s go!”
The last word went to Volkanovski, the two-time featherweight champion looking to fend off another challenger and cement his case to be considered the greatest featherweight of all time.
“You’re in for a treat,” Volkanovski said to the Abu Dhabi crowd. “Co-main and main event, champion vs. No. 1 contender. That’s how it should be. Let’s put on a show for you. Enjoy!”
