Colby Thicknesse beats Asaf Chopurov by split decision at UFC 333

Colby Thicknesse edged Asaf Chopurov by split decision at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24, as first reported by MMA Fighting. The judges scored the bout 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28, with two of the three cards going to the Australian. The result closed out the Early Prelims portion of the card.

Thicknesse, a 27-year-old Orthodox fighter who trains out of Freestyle Fighting Gym, moves to 10-1. The win extends his current run to three victories in his last four recorded fights. His most recent recorded fight came on May 2, 2026, when he took a unanimous decision over Vince Morales at UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates. Before that, he beat Josias Musasa by unanimous decision in September 2025. His only recorded loss in that stretch was a unanimous decision to Aleksandre Topuria at UFC 312 in February 2025.

His numbers point to a patient, volume-oriented approach rather than a finishing one. Thicknesse lands 3.33 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy, averages one takedown per 15 minutes and attempts 0.5 submissions over the same span. The split verdict also continues a pattern: his three most recent recorded wins and the loss before them all went the distance.

Chopurov, a 24-year-old Orthodox fighter, entered the night unbeaten at 11-0. The split-decision loss is the first blemish on his record, which now stands at 11-1. The age gap between the two is three years, with Chopurov the younger man.

Why it matters

• Chopurov's unbeaten record ended on a razor-thin scorecard margin, with one judge seeing it his way 29-28.
• Thicknesse has now won consecutive decisions in the UFC and followed up his May result with another win inside five months.
• The two-to-one split suggests a close, competitive fight that could have gone either way on a different card.

For Thicknesse, the win adds to a record that has been built largely on rounds banked across three-round fights. For Chopurov, the focus now shifts to how he responds to his first loss, having come within a single scorecard of keeping his perfect mark intact.