Overview
- UFC CEO Dana White said on Oct. 14 that UFC 333 will go ahead at Etihad Arena on Oct. 24 and that the promotion has no contingency plan to move the card.
- The event listing still shows two title fights: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev for the featherweight belt and Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight belt.
- Security concerns stem from recent missile and drone attacks in the region, including a strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that caused civilian casualties, and the U.S. Department of State has a Level 3 travel advisory for the UAE.
- There has been at least one confirmed matchup change after Arnold Allen withdrew, with Aaron Pico now booked to face Losene Keita, and a fighter (Tommy McMillen) has offered to serve as a backup without formal confirmation.
- Promoters including the UFC, Power Slap and WWE are signaling they will continue events in the region, but fighters’ public views and any formal, public contingency or evacuation plans remain unclear and could affect travel and participation decisions.