Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan Look Back on Early Days and Superstar Status in Candid UFC 333 Backstage Chat
Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan shared a wholesome backstage moment after defending their titles at a record-breaking UFC 333 event in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 333 set massive financial and attendance records over the weekend. The promotion now holds four of the top five gates at the Etihad Arena, thanks to dominant championship performances from Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, the event also drew the highest attendance and gate in Abu Dhabi history, with over 50 percent of the crowd traveling from outside the UAE.
Now, days after the record-breaking night, a backstage video of the two champions sharing a wholesome moment is making the rounds online and winning everyone's heart.
Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan Reflect on Early Days Backstage
Red Corner MMA posted footage on X showing Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan backstage holding their championship belts immediately after their title defenses. In the short clip, Volkanovski recalls watching Yan early in their careers and telling his teammates to follow him.
"Back then, remember when we all started getting in, and you see Petr Yan when I go watch him, I told my mates to watch this fellow star. Now everything different," Volkanovski said.
"Yeah. Maybe we change too," Yan replied, echoing the featherweight champion's sentiment. The two fighters laughed, congratulated each other and embraced before leaving.
Volkanovski stopped the previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev at 4:54 of Round 2 on Saturday night. The featherweight champion entered the cage with a 28-4 record to make the second defense of his current title reign.
He originally reclaimed the belt at UFC 314 and defended it against Diego Lopes at UFC 325. Evloev came into the bout at 20-0 following a majority-decision win over Lerone Murphy.
Despite significant pre-fight hype, Evloev suffered the first loss of his career. His fight also ignited a debate within the MMA community over how he handled the second-round pressure.
Meanwhile, Yan completed his trilogy against Merab Dvalishvili, taking a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head series. Yan first reclaimed his bantamweight belt from Dvalishvili by decision at UFC 323, then went five rounds with him again in the co-main event at UFC 333.
The 48-47 sweep gave Yan his first successful title defense and ended their three-fight series with Yan winning the final two meetings. Despite dropping the decision on Saturday night, Dvalishvili stated at the post-fight press conference that he still considers himself a much better fighter than Yan.
The definitive end to this rivalry leaves both champions looking toward new challenges. White stated that matchmakers will decide who Yan fights next, with the promotion targeting either Sean Oā€™Malley or Song Yadong for the bantamweight title.
Volkanovski's next move is less clear. While his next featherweight challenger remains unconfirmed, the champion is actively pushing for a cross-division legacy fight against Justin Gaethje to close out his career.
