UFC 333 Weigh-Ins Set, Volkov Calls Out Dana White

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

• UFC 333 weigh-in results: Championship bouts set, prelim fighter misses weight by almost 5 pounds (MMA Fighting)
• UFC 333 weigh-in video: Volkanovski vs. Evloev (MMA Fighting)
• Live: UFC 333 early weigh ins results | Volkanovski vs. Evolev (MMA Mania)
• Official Weigh-In Results | UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev (UFC News)
• Volkanovski vs Evloev is official with both fighters making championship weight (r/MMA)
• Top 15 UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley announces his retirement after one more fight (Bloody Elbow)
• ‘One more, then I’m done’, Joaquin Buckley makes shocking retirement announcement at 32 (MMA Mania)
• ‘One more, then I’m done’, Joaquin Buckley makes shocking retirement announcement at 32 (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Joaquin Buckley announces surprising plan for UFC retirement (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• BREAKING | Joaquin Buckley announces he’ll retire after next UFC fight (BJPenn.com)
• Daniel Willycat aims for victory at UFC 333 in tribute to Allan Puro Osso (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Bella Mir says she is under contract to the UFC. She is aiming to fight in January for Tuff-N-Uff and wants to have 4 or 5 more fights before DWCS S11. She also competes this weekend at RAF 14. (r/MMA)
• Alexander Volkov Asks Dana White For Title-Shot Path At UFC 333 Presser (MiddleEasy)
• Alexander Volkov asks Dana White how he can get a title shot at the UFC 333 press conference (r/MMA)
• Did Dana White Really Fail To Recognize Alexander Volkov? (MMA News)
• Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3: Bloody Elbow staff all agree on the UFC 333 co-main event (Bloody Elbow)
• Georges St-Pierre reveals his Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3 prediction (MMA Weekly)
• Petr Yan Rips UFC Over Sean O’Malley Push Ahead of Merab Dvalishvili Trilogy at UFC 333 (Cageside Press)
• Petr Yan promises to break Merab Dvalishvili’s nose again at UFC 333: ‘This machine is going to be taken apart’ (MMA Fighting)
• UFC 334: Alex Poatan questions Josh Hokit’s gas for a fight against Ciryl Gane (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Eddie Hearn explains why he feels bad for boxing rival Dana White (BJPenn.com)
• Eddie Hearn Says He Feels Sorry For Dana White After Volkov Exchange (MiddleEasy)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA, episode 127 for October 23rd, 2026. Today's show is brought to you by Dealophant, from the team behind Open Scoring MMA. More on them in a minute. DUKE: UFC 333 is tomorrow night in Abu Dhabi, and the weigh-ins are in the books.
NORA: Clean numbers too. Alexander Volkanovski came in at a hundred and forty four point five for the featherweight title defense.
DUKE: And Movsar Evloev, the undefeated challenger, hit a hundred and forty five on the nose.
NORA: Both championship bouts, Volkanovski versus Evloev and the bantamweight co-main event with Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, are official.
DUKE: One prelim fighter missed weight by almost five pounds, which is brutal this close to a title card.
NORA: It happens, but on a card this big it's a bad look for whoever it was.
DUKE: We said we'd be all over UFC 333 and the Fight Night after it, and here we are, so let's get into it properly.
NORA: Starting with the main event. Volkanovski's the champ, Evloev's unbeaten, this is as clean a litmus test as featherweight's gotten in a while.
DUKE: At thirty two.
NORA: Yeah, and just five days after he got knocked out in the UFC Edmonton main event.
DUKE: Wait, five days? That's fast to make a career decision like that.
NORA: He posted a lengthy explanation on Instagram, said he wants one more, then that's it.
DUKE: That's a gut punch. Buckley's one of the most explosive finishers in the welterweight division, the walk off knockouts, the highlight reel stuff.
NORA: And now we're counting down one fight instead of wondering what's next for him in the rankings.
DUKE: Hope it's a proper send off, not just a formality.
NORA: We'll see what the UFC does for his final bout.
DUKE: Sticking with UFC 333, Daniel Willycat's got a storyline worth mentioning too.
NORA: He's coming off a loss that snapped a four fight winning streak, now facing Bolaji Oki this Saturday.
DUKE: And he's dedicating the fight to Allan Puro Osso as a tribute.
NORA: A nice human beat on a card that's mostly about title gold.
DUKE: Bella Mir says she's under UFC contract, but she's actually fighting in January for Tuff n Uff.
NORA: She wants four or five more fights before Dana White's Contender Series season eleven, and she's also competing this weekend at RAF fourteen.
DUKE: Building reps before she steps into the bigger spotlight. Smart.
Quick break for our sponsor. Dealophant shows the real price per unit on everyday Amazon buys, so you stop overpaying for the big box. It's free at dealophant dot com, and we may earn a commission if you buy. Now, back to the show. NORA: Now on to the callouts, because Alexander Volkov didn't hold back at the UFC 333 press conference.
DUKE: He flat out asked Dana White how he's supposed to get a title shot.
NORA: And it led to an awkward exchange, people online are asking whether Dana even recognized who Volkov was.
DUKE: That's rough for a heavyweight contender. You shouldn't have to ask the boss how to earn a shot.
NORA: Fans on X are already fired up about it, the weigh-in post is getting plenty of reaction and side conversation about the whole presser.
DUKE: Volkov's been around, he's earned better than an awkward shrug from the company.
NORA: It does make you wonder who's actually next in that heavyweight picture after Gane and Hokit settle things.
DUKE: Speaking of settling things, Yan and Dvalishvili running it back is the co-main, and Yan's not holding back verbally either.
NORA: He promised to, quote, break Merab Dvalishvili's nose again, end quote, and said the machine is going to be taken apart.
DUKE: Bold talk from the bantamweight contender. Their first meeting back in twenty twenty three, Dvalishvili won every round.
NORA: Which makes this rematch a real referendum on who actually runs bantamweight. And Yan also took a shot at the UFC for pushing Sean O'Malley ahead of this fight, he feels like the rematch's getting overshadowed.
DUKE: Looking ahead to UFC 334 now, Alex Pereira's got thoughts on the heavyweight title fight.
NORA: He questioned Josh Hokit's gas tank for five rounds against Ciryl Gane, since Pereira knows that grind firsthand.
DUKE: That's a real concern. Hokit stepping up to that kind of championship pace is a totally different animal.
NORA: Gane's cardio at range has always been his calling card, so if Hokit can't sustain output, that's where it gets dangerous late.
DUKE: Last one in this segment, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn piled on about the awkward Dana White and Volkov moment. That's a rival promoter twisting the knife a little. Either way, not a great week for the press conference optics. Let's preview what's coming after UFC 333. Next Saturday, October thirty first, it's UFC Fight Night with Renato Moicano facing Tom Nolan.
NORA: Then November seventh, Sean Brady meets Gabriel Bonfim. That's a stacked next few weeks of actual fights, not just talk.
DUKE: If you want more than what we cover here, go find us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA.
NORA: Breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, videos you're not getting on this feed.
DUKE: Deeper film stuff too, if you actually want to dig into how these matchups break down.
NORA: Worth the search.
DUKE: Alright, that's it for us today.
NORA: Enjoy UFC 333 tomorrow night, it's a big one.
One more thing before we go. Petr Yan says he's breaking Merab Dvalishvili's nose again and taking the machine apart. Bold talk, or does Merab run it right back a third time? And while you're here, two quick ones. Our free Fight Tracker is at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed. That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.