Alexander Volkanovski Believes He's Got Edge in UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) is entering familiar territory during UFC 333 on Saturday night. "The Great" will be competing in his fifth consecutive championship fight when the fabled Octagon touches down in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for the October flagship event.

At stake is Volkanovski's UFC Featherweight Championship in the headlining contest of UFC 333. His opponent on Saturday will be No. 1 contender Movsar Evloev (20-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC.) Numerically speaking, Evloev has won 12 of his 20 professional fights by way of decision.

As fight week for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi rolls on, the time for talk is running out for both Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. Brian Campbell of CBS Sports recently sat down for an interview with the current UFC Featherweight Champion.

  

Alexander Volkanovski on Defending Featherweight Championship at Age 38

This contest will be the champion's first since celebrating his 38th birthday less than one month ago. He talked about what it means to be the pound-for-pound king and the champion at this point in his life.

"It's weird because it crept that quick," Alexander Volkanovski began. "Before you knew it, I was at an age where people were talking about the 35-year-old curse all that. I didn't even think of it before then, really, but now to be where we are, 38 years old and still doing what we're doing, it is pretty cool."

Volkanovski did, however, acknowledge that time might not be on his side for too much longer. 

"Them years, as you go, you're like 'All right, training, starting to get a bit more niggles, maybe feeling that a little bit more'," he continued. "In saying that, I'm obviously training with a lot of still up-and-comers, a lot of athletes at all levels, all different times of their career. Trust me, I'm still there."

Alexander Volkanovski Sizes Up Movsar Evloev

As previously stated, Movsar Evloev is unbeaten up to now in the UFC. Volkanovski mentioned that the fact that Evloev is unblemished in professional MMA presents him and his camp with a most-daunting task.

"He knows how to win," he said of his opponent. "He's going to try and be there the whole fight. He's not going to wilt, like it's not going to be easy. He's going to have a gas tank and he's shown that he can be there for the 25 minutes, but that's with people that I feel like he's in a little more control with. Maybe he can hang for 25 minutes, but I don't think so."

Volkanovski believes that the outcome of the UFC 333 main event will swing in his favor by the time Saturday night rolls around.

"I believe I'm going to be in his face," he continued. "If he wants to try and take me down, come and try, but I'm going to be right there in your face, putting hands on you. I just feel like he won't be able to keep up with me."

Alexander Volkanovski Promises Interesting Fight in UFC 333 Main Event

60 percent of Movsar Evloev's wins in professional MMA have required the judges' scorecards. In Evloev's last fight this past spring in UFC London, he was deducted one point in the fourth round of a scheduled five against Lerone Murphy due to an illegal strike in a majority decision.

Volkanovski recalls a previous interview he did in the aftermath of UFC London where he referenced Evloev's ground game. 

"I told him 'Don't you dare try that with me,'" he mentioned. "I don't want you to have excuses like 'Oh, you know, I tried to be exciting,' blah, blah, blah. It's going to be exciting because, as I've said before, it's going to be on the feet because I'm going to make it on the feet. Even if you do take it to the ground, I'm getting straight back up and I'm going to force you to fight on the feet."