The UFC was in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, on Saturday for a stacked UFC 333 card. In the main event, Alexander Volkanovski defended his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev. In the co-main event, Petr Yan defended his bantamweight title in a trilogy fight against Merab Dvalishvili.
Ultimately, it was Volkanovski who won by second-round TKO to defend his belt. In the co-main event, Yan edged out a decision over Dvalishvili in one of the best fights this year. Following UFC 333, here is what I think should be next for the four fighters involved in the title fights.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski entered UFC 333 with some doubters, but he silenced them all. Volkanovski was effective on the feet, and in the second round, he seemingly broke Evloev en route to a TKO win with seconds to go in the second round.
With the win, Volkanovski remains the featherweight champion, but there are some questions around his future. He could opt to retire, stay at featherweight, or move up to lightweight. For me, I would like to see Volkanovski move up to lightweight to face Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title in a double retirement fight for both men.
Movsar Evloev
Movsar Evloev entered UFC 333 with an undefeated record, but he fell short against Volkanovski. He couldn’t get his grappling going, nor could he do much on the feet as he struggled with Volkanovski’s jab and power, which led to the TKO loss.
With the loss, Evloev is back to the drawing board and will likely need a couple of wins to get another title shot. A logical next fight is to face Youssef Zalal, who is coming off a loss to Aljamain Sterling. The winner of the fight will be back in title contention, while the loser becomes a bit of a gatekeeper.
Petr Yan
Petr Yan dominated Merab Dvalishvili in their second fight, but the first two rounds looked like it was going to look the first fight. Yan struggled with Dvalishvili’s wrestling and pace, yet in the third round, he went on the front foot and started to land damaging shots en route to a decision win.
With the victory, Yan defended his bantamweight title for the first time in his career. He has options for his next fight, but a rematch with Sean O’Malley has to be next. It’s the biggest fight the UFC can make, and O’Malley has a win over Song Yadong, who is the other contender.
Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili looked like he was well on his way to becoming the champion again, yet he appeared to fade in the final three rounds to lose a decision. With the loss, Dvalishvili is back to the drawing board, and he should face Mario Bautista next time out, where the winner could very well get a title shot.
What do you think should be next for the stars of UFC 333?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
