Buckley says his next fight is his last

UFC 333 locked in its two-title main card in Abu Dhabi, with the only scale drama coming from a prelim strawweight's 4.5-pound miss. Away from the event, Joaquin Buckley stunned the welterweight division by announcing retirement after one more fight, and RAF 14 collapsed into a press-conference riot a day before Tsarukyan-Danis.

UFC 333 set: Volkanovski, Yan, Merab and Evloev all make weight

All four title-fight principals hit the scale cleanly for Saturday's UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, with Alexander Volkanovski (144.5) defending the featherweight belt against undefeated Movsar Evloev (145) and Petr Yan (135) meeting Merab Dvalishvili (135) in their bantamweight trilogy. The lone miss came on the prelims, where strawweight Nicolle Caliari weighed 120.5 pounds, a full 4.5 over the non-title limit; her bout with Iasmin Lucindo proceeds at catchweight with Caliari forfeiting 30 percent of her purse.

Why it matters: A rare two-belt PPV goes off as booked, with Volkanovski's age-defying run and the Yan-Merab rubber match both live. Caliari's egregious miss is the only crack in an otherwise clean card.

Joaquin Buckley to retire after one more fight at 32

Five days after a brutal knockout loss to Mike Malott in the UFC Edmonton main event, Joaquin Buckley announced that his next bout will be his last. The 32-year-old welterweight, who said his grandmother urged him to walk away to protect his mind, has now lost three straight following decision defeats to Kamaru Usman and Sean Brady. He has not named an opponent or date, but says he refuses to leave on a loss.

Why it matters: A top-15 welterweight and one of the sport's great highlight-reel finishers is calling his shot on the way out, thinning a division he was climbing toward the title in just 20 months ago.

Tsarukyan storms stage in RAF 14 presser riot with Danis

The RAF 14 press conference in Las Vegas erupted when Dillon Danis unveiled a shirt mocking Khamzat Chimaev, prompting Arman Tsarukyan to charge the stage and throw a punch, igniting a full brawl involving both camps and security. Chimaev, who faces Robbie Lawler in the co-main event, had to be restrained by several people. Lawler, unimpressed, said combat sports athletes 'need to do a better job.' Tsarukyan and Danis still headline Friday's card.

Why it matters: Another Danis-fueled melee adds to Tsarukyan's long rap sheet of hotheaded incidents just as he's angling for a UFC lightweight title shot, exactly the kind of baggage that has slowed his push before.

Tsarukyan says he's promised a lightweight title shot early next year

Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC has assured him his next fight will be for the lightweight title, 'beginning of next year.' Riding a six-fight UFC win streak after knocking out Mauricio Ruffy, Tsarukyan says he'll stay at 155 rather than drop to featherweight. The timeline is complicated by champion Justin Gaethje weighing retirement and rumors of an immediate Gaethje-Topuria rematch.

Why it matters: It finally puts a window on a shot Tsarukyan has chased since his UFC 311 withdrawal, but with the champion's status unsettled, who he'd actually be fighting for the belt is anyone's guess.

Rogan rips UFC over Basharat cut as White walks back his dig

Joe Rogan publicly blasted the UFC for releasing undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat (16-0), saying he doesn't like fighters being cut for a wrestling-based, decision-heavy style. Dana White, who had earlier implied Basharat had issues with matchmakers, clarified at the UFC 333 presser that he was speaking generally and not about Basharat specifically. White also declined to guarantee Movsar Evloev's roster spot if he loses Saturday, though he said the contender shouldn't worry.

Why it matters: The Basharat saga keeps the UFC's win-versus-entertainment matchmaking philosophy on trial, and White's refusal to guarantee Evloev shows the pressure even reaches a title challenger.

Dana White appears not to recognize Volkov at UFC 333 presser

A viral UFC 333 press-conference moment saw top-five heavyweight Alexander Volkov, posing as a questioner from the crowd, ask Dana White how to earn a title shot, only for the CEO to ask his age and record before pointing him to matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard. Alexander Volkanovski had to lean in and tell White who Volkov was. White later insisted he was playing along, but many fans weren't convinced. Volkov faces Rizvan Kuniev on Saturday's main card.

Why it matters: The exchange fed a growing narrative that White, increasingly focused on boxing ventures, is disconnected from his own roster, right as a decade-long heavyweight contender tries to promote himself into the title picture.

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