UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has opened up about the specific reasons behind his urgent push to finish Movsar Evloev at UFC 333.
The Reason Behind the Urgent Finish
Volkanovski secured a second-round TKO victory over Evloev in the co-main event of UFC 333 to successfully defend his title for the second time during his second reign as the featherweight champion. As reported by sports.yahoo.com, this marked Volkanovski’s first stoppage since he defeated Yair Rodriguez via TKO at UFC 290 in July 2023. While the Australian champion is usually comfortable outperforming opponents across five full rounds to secure a decision victory, securing an early finish became a clear priority against Evloev.
In an interview with Brendan Bradford following his return to Australia, Volkanovski explained that ending the bout in the second round was crucial because he competed while dealing with an illness. He admitted he lacked confidence in his customary endurance if the championship bout extended to the judges’ scorecards.
Volkanovski stated, as relayed via Bloody Elbow, “I’m glad it was only two rounds cuz I was breathing a little heavier than usual. I had to take some big breaths… You could see that I started putting that pressure on, especially in the second round. It was like, alright, let’s start finding this finish. Again, I don’t want to go five rounds. I don’t know if these lungs can hold up being crook (sick) and all. And not only that, I started to see everything and knowing that the finish probably would come.”
Future Plans in the Octagon
Following his successful defense against the previously undefeated Evloev, Volkanovski plans to take a period of rest and recovery before returning to competition in 2027.
His next matchup could involve another featherweight title defense against contenders such as Jean Silva, Aljamain Sterling, or Kevin Vallejos. Alternatively, Volkanovski might decide to move up to the 155-pound division to challenge UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in a major superfight.
