UFC 333 Predictions & Picks – Best Bets Include Evloev, Dvalishvili & Pico

• Two five-round title fights headline UFC 333 from Abu Dhabi on Saturday
• Three of my five UFC 333 picks come back at plus money
• See my full UFC 333 predictions, picks and latest odds below

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UFC 333 takes place Saturday, October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card begins at 2 p.m. ET and streams on Paramount+.

Two of the five main-card bouts are five-round title fights, and the other three are scheduled for three rounds. Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili also meet for a third time in the co-main event.

Every price here is from BetMGM, where you can also look through the current BetMGM promo code offers. Let’s get into my favorite UFC 333 predictions, best bets and long-shot picks, headlined by Volkanovski vs Evloev.

UFC 333 Main Card Odds

No main-card favorite on this board is priced shorter than -149. The Volkanovski vs Evloev moneyline is nearly even, while Dvalishvili offers an underdog price in the co-main event. My two decision props below target a specific method of victory.

UFC 333 Main Card Predictions

Volkanovski vs Evloev Prediction

• UFC 333 Pick #1: Movsar Evloev ML (-105 at BetMGM)

Volkanovski turner 38 in September, and his age is my biggest concern in this matchup against a pressure-based wrestler in Abu Dhabi. Historically, fighters over 35 have not fared well in title fights at or below lightweight.

Volkanovski has done well against wrestlers throughout his career, but his struggles tend to come in fights where he does not have a definitive grappling advantage. All three of his losses have come against elite grapplers, and recency bias has erased the moments where he was nearly finished by Brian Ortega and Chad Mendes on the ground.

Although coming off a pair of solid wins to stamp himself as a two-time featherweight champion, Volkanovski has not faced a stylistic matchup this difficult in years. The younger, stronger Evloev fighting in his region should finally have his crowning moment.

Yan vs Dvalishvili 3 Prediction

• UFC 333 Pick #2: Merab Dvalishvili ML (+125 at BetMGM)

Yan is the more technically polished striker, but Dvalishvili’s cardio and volume give him a reliable route across five rounds. Dvalishvili fought four times in 2025 and has acknowledged how brutal the weight cut and camp were, which is a consideration rather than a reason to dismiss his pace.

Yan looked excellent last time out, though he has had major back surgery since, and that is devastating for a fight built on wrestling. At his best, Dvalishvili’s cardio and volume overwhelm everyone, and in their third meeting I will take his engine.

A Yan victory would not be surprising in the slightest, but the public has dismissed the former champion’s suffocating style all too quickly after one bad performance. Dvalishvili’s career-best 147 significant strikes came against Yan in the first meeting.

Kavanagh vs Temirov Prediction

• UFC 333 Pick #3: Loneer Kavanagh by Decision (+225 at BetMGM)

This is the wild card of my UFC 333 predictions. Kavanagh is far more technical, but he has been beaten by one big shot before, and that is exactly Temirov’s bread and butter.

Throughout their parallel UFC careers, Kavanagh has done his best work managing the distance and picking his shots from the outside. Temirov is almost the exact opposite, closing the distance with reckless abandon to connect with his wild and fast hooks.

I still like Kavanagh’s skill base more and his ability to manage distance, so I expect him to build rounds rather than chase a finish. Given the danger Temirov carries, the decision prop is how I want to back that read instead of the moneyline.

Volkov vs Kuniev Prediction

• UFC 333 Pick #4: Alexander Volkov ML (-125 at BetMGM)

Kuniev’s stout 94 percent takedown defense makes him a hard night for wrestlers, which is the only style he has faced in the UFC thus far. His striking is a different question against an elite kickboxer.

Volkov carries an 80-inch reach to Kuniev’s 76, and that four-inch edge should let him fight at range and decide where the exchanges happen. His length and range have been effective against the best in the world, including dominant wins over Sergei Pavlovich, Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Kuniev will need to turn the tables and become the wrestler in this fight, but Volkov has figured out how to maximize his length as a grappler in recent years. Kuniev needs to push a high pace for 15 minutes that he has never comfortably done before.

Pico vs Keita Prediction

• UFC 333 Pick #5: Aaron Pico by Decision (+300 at BetMGM)

Technically, this is a super competitive fight, but Pico’s wrestling and boxing are just a step above Keita’s aggressive striking style. The problem is Pico’s durability, which has become well-documented throughout his career.

To his credit, Pico acknowledges this flaw in his game and has spoken about fighting smarter and taking less unnecessary risks in the cage. That lends me to believe that he will wrestle more here and take the biggest advantage he has on paper. Pico has real fight-ending power, but I do not think he wants to engage with Keita that way and open himself up to counters.

Keita still has the ability to end any fight with one shot, and he has been difficult to take down before. Yet, he has also opened himself up to wrestling opportunities when he gets too aggressive on the feet, and nobody is faster at getting to the hips than Pico.

Odds as of October 23 at BetMGM. Compare prices across the best UFC betting apps before placing a wager.