Volkov vs. Kuniev is one of the main card heavyweight fights at UFC 333 on Saturday 24 October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the winner will have a strong case for the next heavyweight title shot. Alexander Volkov, ranked fourth in Pugna MMA's UFC heavyweight rankings, meets fifth-ranked Rizvan Kuniev in a three-round bout. The UFC calls it one of two potential title eliminators before the end of the year, but not a confirmed one.
The bout and what is at stake
UFC 333 is headlined by Alexander Volkanovski against Movsar Evloev, and the heavyweight bout sits on the main card. According to the UFC's fight by fight preview, a win for Volkov, combined with a win for Ciryl Gane in November, could set up a rematch between the two. Volkov lost a split decision to Gane at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Is it a title eliminator? Not officially. The UFC's own wording is "potential", and CBS Sports has argued that a shot is not guaranteed to the winner. The UFC has not named a next challenger, so the winner improves their case but holds no promise.
Who is champion? Ciryl Gane. According to TNT Sports, Tom Aspinall gave up the title because of complications from the eye injury he suffered in the no contest with Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025, and Gane was elevated to undisputed champion. Gane defends against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in November.
Where both sit in the rankings
Sources do not agree. Some outlets list Volkov at number two and Kuniev at number seven, while others place Kuniev at five. Pugna MMA's own data, as of 20 October, has Volkov fourth and Kuniev fifth in the UFC heavyweight division, neither of them champion. Volkov is 40-11-0, with 24 wins by KO or TKO, four by submission and twelve by decision. Kuniev is 14-3-2 by our records, with seven wins by KO or TKO, two by submission and five by decision. Other listings show 14-3-1 for Kuniev.
Volkov's path
Volkov brings reach and experience at the top of the division. His last two fights, per our database, were decision wins over Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328 on 9 May 2026 and over Jailton Almeida at UFC 321 in October 2025. The UFC preview describes him as chasing a third straight win and his first title shot, and notes that a loss would cost him his place in the rankings, which makes this a possible trap fight. The Gane decision at UFC 310 remains the only loss in his recent run.
Kuniev's rise
Kuniev came through Dana White's Contender Series, where he stopped Hugo Cunha in the first round in August 2024. In the UFC he lost a decision to Curtis Blaydes in June 2025, then beat Almeida by decision in February 2026. On 25 July he stopped Tyrell Fortune by TKO in round three at UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov. According to the UFC, he finished Fortune with knees to the body, and the fight earned Fight of the Night honours. Fortune was ranked 14th in our data.
What the winner gets
The winner gets a strong claim to the next title shot, after Gane and Hokit meet at UFC 334 in November. A Volkov win could mean a rematch with Gane, if Gane keeps the belt. A Kuniev win would be the biggest of his career and would likely lift him past Volkov in the rankings. Neither outcome comes with a promise from the UFC, and the other potential eliminator mentioned in the preview could also shape who gets the next shot.
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This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.