UFC 333 arrives in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Oct 24, 2026, with one of the deepest cards of the year. Cam Rowston faces Abus Magomedov at the top of the bill, and multiple UFC 333 bouts trended on Google’s daily search trends in the United States.
UFC 333 main card breakdown
The headliner pits Rowston against Magomedov in a matchup that has drawn predictions and odds from Yahoo Sports and BetMGM. UFC.com profiled Rowston as “a decade as a pro, in his prime,” a fighter who has waited a long time for a stage this big.
Rowston brings veteran craft and a fan-friendly style to the UFC 333 headliner. Magomedov brings the kind of power that ends debates early. The pairing has all the ingredients of a main event, and the betting lines suggest the oddsmakers see it as competitive.
Grant Dawson faces Nurullo Aliev further down the card, and Dawson carries a record control-time share into the bout. That statistic tells you how he fights: he takes opponents down and keeps them there. Aliev will need an answer for the grappling, because Dawson has made a career of giving opponents no room to work.
Dawson’s control-time share is the kind of number that shapes game plans. Opponents know what is coming and still cannot stop it. Aliev’s task is clear: keep the fight standing, because once Dawson gets on top, the numbers say he stays there.
Undercard fights to watch
Nikita Krylov faces Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev in a bout between two fighters who know how to finish. Krylov has been around the top of the division conversation for years, and Yakhyaev gets the kind of opportunity that can change a career in one night.
Colby Thicknesse meets Asaf Chopurov, who made weight ahead of his UFC 333 debut. Making weight is the first test of fight week, and Chopurov cleared it, which means the debut is officially on. Thicknesse will try to spoil the occasion.
The depth of the card is what has people talking. When every fight on the bill can stand on its own, the event stops feeling like a main event with filler and starts feeling like a night where something could happen at any point.
The UFC 333 undercard also carries real stakes for the division. Krylov has hovered near contention for years without quite breaking through, and Yakhyaev gets a name opponent at the right time. A win here moves the victor closer to bigger assignments.
Betting odds and predictions
Yahoo Sports and BetMGM both published predictions and odds for the card, with the Rowston vs Magomedov headliner getting the most attention. The lines moved through fight week as money came in, which is normal for a card with this much interest.
Dawson’s control-time numbers make him an interesting betting case. Fighters who dominate position tend to win decisions, and judges reward the kind of top control Dawson brings. Aliev’s path is narrower but clear: keep it standing and land something heavy.
For the debut of Chopurov at UFC 333, the odds reflect the unknown. Debuting fighters are hard to price, and the market usually leans toward the known quantity. Thicknesse has the experience edge on paper.
The UFC 333 predictions converged on the headliner as the fight to watch. Rowston’s decade as a pro gives him the experience edge, while Magomedov’s power gives him the puncher’s chance. Yahoo Sports and BetMGM both see a competitive fight, and the odds reflect that read.
How to watch UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi
The event takes place Saturday in Abu Dhabi, continuing the UFC’s run of big cards in the Emirates. The promotion has built a real home there, and the crowds have grown louder with each visit.
American viewers can follow the card through the usual broadcast channels, with the main card set for the evening hours in the United States. The Abu Dhabi time difference means an afternoon start locally and a comfortable evening slot back home.
The card is one of the deepest of 2026 on paper. The weigh-ins are done, the matchups are set, and the main card runs in the evening hours in the United States on Saturday.