Volkanovski and Yan set sights on 2027 title rematches
UFC 333 winners now face paths back to past rivals, with Charles Oliveira and Sean O'Malley emerging as the primary targets for the featherweight and bantamweight champions.
By Isaac Medina ·
Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev in the second round on Sunday night at UFC 333. Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in the main event. Both fighters retained their belts. Both are now looking at next year to fight opponents they have already beaten.
Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, now faces a choice. He could move up to the lightweight division to challenge the champion, or he could fight Charles Oliveira for the BMF title. Oliveira defends that belt against Diego Lopes in December at UFC 335. Volkanovski told ESPN in September that he did not love the idea of jumping the line at 155 pounds to fight Justin Gaethje. A win over Oliveira would make him a legitimate contender for the lightweight championship.
Yan, the bantamweight champion, finished his trilogy with Dvalishvili. He now wants to fight Sean O'Malley. O'Malley holds a victory over Yan from 2022. Since losing to Dvalishvili in 2024 and 2025, O'Malley is 2-0. He beat Song Yadong and knocked out Aiemann Zahabi. O'Malley is the most logical next opponent for Yan. Song Yadong is also a contender for the belt. Yan and O'Malley have never fought for a title, but they have crossed paths twice.
Dvalishvili is in a tough spot. He lost to Yan for the second time in the trilogy. He is likely to fight Umar Nurmagomedov next. They fought at UFC 311 in January 2025. Nurmagomedov broke his hand early in that fight. Dvalishvili fought through injuries during camp. Both fighters are coming off losses. Nurmagomedov wants to return by January, before Ramadan begins in February.
Movsar Evloev is in a similar position after his first loss. He is 24-1 in the UFC. He will likely fight Pat Sabatini next. Sabatini is 9-2 in the promotion. Evloev said he might try again for the title, but he is now the gatekeeper for the featherweight division. He will need to win to get back to the top spot.
The UFC has set the stage for several high-profile rematches in 2027. Volkanovski and Yan are both looking for fights that carry historical weight. The organization can now decide whether to prioritize title unification or revisit past rivalries. The decision will affect the rankings and the future of the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.
