“Guaranteed to Go to Breaking Point”: Alexander Volkanovski Admits Nervousness Ahead of Movsar Evloev Fight
The UFC featherweight champion says he rarely gets nervous before fights, but this time is different, and he has explained why.
Alexander Volkanovski has been part of some of the UFC’s most exciting fights. In the featherweight division, he faced Max Holloway three times and won all three bouts.
He also fought Islam Makhachev twice, with one of those bouts coming on short notice. The 38-year-old has achieved a great deal throughout his career. Thus, Volkanovski admitting that he feels nervous ahead of UFC 333 makes his comments particularly intriguing.
Alexander Volkanovski Says Movsar Evloev Fight Will Get Him to ‘Breaking Point’
Alexander Volkanovski will headline the numbered UFC event in Abu Dhabi against Movsar Evloev on October 24. Ahead of his bout, Volkanovski said, “I don’t get nervous for fights like that, but I probably get a little nervous for this, just knowing that.”
“When I’m fighting, it’s like, I’m trying to control what’s going to happen in the fight. With this one, you never know what’s going to happen in a fight; you could win it like that. It might not be a tough fight. This is guaranteed; it’s going to get you to breaking point,” Volkanovski further explained his statement.
Evloev enters the fight undefeated (20-0). He is riding a ten-fight undefeated streak in the UFC. The Russian star has built this streak on suffocating opponents with high-level wrestling and relentless pressure.
Volkanovski, meanwhile, is riding a two-fight win streak. Heading into the bout, the Australian has another impressive milestone within reach if he successfully defends his title.
The Record Volkanovski is Going For
Alexander Volkanovski first captured the featherweight title in 2019 after defeating Max Holloway. He defended it five times before losing the belt to Ilia Topuria in 2024.
He regained the title against Diego Lopes in 2025 and has defended it once since. Now, a win on October 24 would give him a record-breaking ninth victory in featherweight title fights.
If the fight goes his way, Volkanovski will surpass José Aldo for the most title-fight wins in the division’s history. He would become the first featherweight fighter to reach this milestone.
