Movsar Evloev Echoes Alexander Volkanovski's Stipulation For Retirement After UFC 333

Movsar Evloev might have increased the stakes of his upcoming UFC 333 matchup significantly after he echoed his opponent, Alexander Volkanovski's, take about declaring retirement after the encounter. Following Evloev's expression, the UFC 333 main event now has the potential to end one of the fighters' careers.

Movsar Evloev’s Two-Word Reply Makes UFC 333 Main Event Career vs. Career Matchup

It was Volkanovski who associated the issue of retirement with the UFC 333 main event. In a recent interview with Australia’s 10 News, 'The Great' mentioned that he could hang up his gloves after the UFC 333 main event if things went "terribly wrong" in the encounter. Volk's plan doesn't seem to be out of place, given that he is already 37 and has little left to prove after becoming a two-time featherweight champion.

However, the scenario isn't the same for Evloev, who is 32 and has yet to get his hands on the UFC featherweight title. Still, Evloev shockingly shared the same stipulation that Volkanovski mentioned to declare his retirement after UFC 333.

The Russian native took to the comments section of an Instagram post detailing Volkanovski's retirement stipulation. He penned, "Same thing" to imply that he would also follow his opponent and declare retirement if he gets obliterated in the encounter.

Volkanovski's Coach Views UFC 333 Main Event as the ‘Ideal Matchup’

A look at Evloev's UFC record says that all of his 11 victories have come via decisions. The Russian usually uses his high-level wrestling to control his opponents on the ground to win rounds and achieve decision victories. Nevertheless, Volkanovski's coach, Joe Lopez, recently implied that Evloev's strategy wouldn't work against his disciple due to his commendable takedown defense and scrambling skills.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, Lopez revealed focusing on "defensive grappling more than anything" in Volkanovski's training camp for the fight. He also stated, "But Volk is very good on the ground. It’s the ideal match-up for him, personally."

The combination of Volkanovski's comparatively superior stand-up game and on-ground skills is probably the reason behind Lopez viewing Evloev as an "ideal" opponent for his disciple's victory. However, fans have seen such predictions fail miserably multiple times. Additionally, the involvement of the common retirement stipulation from both fighters is expected to make the UFC 333 main event a must-watch.