UFC 333 live blog: Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev
This is the UFC 333 live blog for Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev, the main card heavyweight bout Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The matchup pits two top 10 contenders against one another, with Volkov at No. 4 and Kuniev at No. 9 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
Volkov (40-11) has made a strong case for a title shot with back-to-back wins over Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Jailton Almeida to make it six victories in his past seven fights. His lone loss during that stretch was a contentious split decision loss to Ciryl Gane, who is set to defend his recently elevated undisputed title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14. Can Volkov finally secure a championship opportunity if he gets past Kuniev?
In just three UFC appearances, Kuniev (14-3-1, 1 NC) has broken out from the middle of the pack, earning his ranking with wins over Almeida and Tyrell Fortune. Outside of a split decision loss to Curtis Blaydes in his UFC debut, Kuniev has been nearly unbeatable since 2017, though his run is marred by a positive drug test during his time with PFL in 2023. Kuniev looks to shake up the rankings and break into the top 5 with a win over Volkov.
Check out the UFC 333 live blog for Alexander Volkov vs. Rizvan Kuniev below.
Preamble
Ok, we’re now on four-fight finishing streak following Aaron Pico’s incredible showing — and all in the first round. Will the big boys get things done quickly in Abu Dhabi? We’re watching you guys, Volkov and Kuniev.
These two Russian heavyweights have trained together (briefly) in the past and the tension has been boiling through interviews over the past few days, so this one could be explosive.