Alexander Volkanovski strengthened his claim as the greatest featherweight of all time after defeating Movsar Evloev inside two rounds at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. The 38-year-old became the first opponent to defeat Russian Evloev, unleashing a lethal ground-and-pound combination to earn a stoppage victory in the final seconds of the second round at Etihad Arena. Referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight as the 32-year-old Evloev was unable to defend himself.
With the win, the Australian became the first UFC featherweight to win nine title fights, surpassing Brazilian Jose Aldo's record of eight. After losing his belt to Ilia Topuria in February 2024, this was Volkanovski's second successful defence since regaining the vacant title last April.
"He's a great fighter, and he was undefeated for a reason," said Volkanovski. "I have nothing but respect for him. It feels good to get a finish." As each fight brings him closer to the end of his UFC career, Volkanovski embraced the support of the fans inside the arena. Evloev, in his first title fight after seven years in the UFC, settled into the contest quickly, and the first round was closer than most expected. Once Volkanovski turned the screw at the start of the second round, clipping his rival and sending him to the floor, his dominance began to take its toll.
In the co-main event, Russia's Petr Yan defeated Georgian Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in a breathtaking trilogy fight to make a successful first defence of his bantamweight title. Yan recovered from a sluggish start, catching Dvalishvili with an inch-perfect liver kick in the final minute of the third round. The victory took Yan to 13 wins in the bantamweight division, with only Aljamain Sterling and Chito Vera (14) recording more.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing