Better to be safe than sorry ...

Following UFC 333 last night (Sat., Oct. 24, 2026) inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, promotion officials confirmed to MMAmania.com that one fighter was transported to a local hospital for precautionary evaluation after sustaining damage in his bout.

That fighter was Top 10-ranked Heavyweight Rizvan Kuniev.

Kuniev (15-4-1) was transported for precautionary X-rays on his leg following his unanimous decision loss to top contender Alexander Volkov.

The 34-year-old Kuniev absorbed a steady diet of punishing leg kicks throughout the three-round contest. Volkov repeatedly attacked his lower half from distance, using his considerable height and reach advantages to prevent Kuniev from establishing any consistent offense.

Kuniev showed plenty of toughness by surviving until the final horn, but the accumulated damage was enough for UFC officials to send him to the hospital for additional testing.

The loss snapped Kuniev’s two-fight winning streak, which included victories over Tyrell Fortune and Jailton Almeida. He is now 2-2 inside the Octagon after suffering his first defeat since losing his promotional debut.

At the time of publication, the results of Kuniev’s scans had not been publicly disclosed.

It is normal for UFC to transport fighters to the hospital for precautionary reasons, especially after fighters are involved in damaging three-round battles, suffer nasty knockouts or sustain injuries that need additional evaluation.

Stick with MMAmania.com for any further health-related updates.