Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev announced for UFC 333
Alexander Volkanovski will be back in action at UFC 333, where he defends his featherweight title against the streaking Movsar Evloev.
Alexander Volkanovski's next title defense has finally been announced, and it will take place at UFC 333 against Movsar Evloev. It's among the more highly anticipated fights on the roster, and could very well be one of the most defining fights of Volkanovski's second run as the UFC featherweight champion.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev heads to Abu Dhabi
UFC 333 is set to take place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main event will feature the return of all-time great featherweight Alexander Volkanovski, who will defend his belt against the undefeated Movsar Evloev. The fight has been rumored for quite some time, even prior to Volkanovski's featherweight title rematch with Diego Lopes at UFC 325, where he won via unanimous decision. The matchup represents a stiff challenge for 'The Great' from a stylsitic standpoint, and he was already working on his wrestling drills prior to the official bout announcement.
Who’s the top dog?!@AlexVolkanovski vs @MovsarUFC headlines #UFC333 on OCT 24!
[ Tickets on sale MONDAY | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/fRDxStqKJd
While Volkanovski recognizes the high-level wrestling threat that Evloev brings to the table, it won't be his first rodeo against an elite grappler. In the first half of his short-lived attempt at two-division championship glory, Volkanovski challenged Islam Makhachev, one of MMA's most complete wrestlers, for the lightweight title at UFC 284. Despite losing via unanimous decision, he dragged Makhachev to hell and back in a fight that many felt he should have won. Now, he will hope to take that experience with him into UFC 333. Evloev, by contrast, has been spotless throughout his career. He is 20-0 and has beaten several top featherweights in his climb to the top of the division. He previously beat Lerone Murphy via majority decision at UFC Fight Night 270 to solidify his claim to the next title shot.
Before that, he defeated former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling via unanimous decision at UFC 310, where both men had a thrilling grappling match. Another one of his victims is Arnold Allen, who he also beat via unanimous decision at UFC 297. Even Lopes, a two-time featherweight title challenger, fell to Evloev, who outgrappled him to a unanimous decision win at UFC 288. The only blemish on his record is his lack of finishes in the UFC, and while he'll continue his search for his first-ever UFC finish, his main priority will be dethroning Volkanovski as champion.
