TJ Dillashaw counters the narrative of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 being a potential FOTY

Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his UFC featherweight championship against a fighter many believe is one of the best grapplers in the UFC today, Russia's Movsar Evloev. 

The MMA community has stood witness to a prominent narrative surrounding the fight, which is that it has all the makings of an absolute barnburner, possibly even earning FOTY (Fight of the Year) honors. Nevertheless, former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw appears to disagree. 

TJ Dillashaw suggests Alexander Volkanovski's craftiness would dash the possibility of his fight with Movsar Evloev being a thriller

In a recent edition of the JAXXON Podcast, ex-UFC flyweight champion and ex-ONE flyweight kingpin Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, former UFC middleweight titlist Michael Bisping, and TJ Dillashaw provided their expert analysis on various MMA topics. 

Podcast host Bear Degidio alluded to the high expectations a number of fans have for the imminent fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. Johnson, Bisping, and Dillashaw all seemed to pick "Volk" as the favorite to emerge victorious, albeit indicating that Evloev is incredibly strong and possesses extraordinary grappling prowess. 

In response to Degidio implying that the Volkanovski-Evloev clash could be one of the most exciting fights of the year, Dillashaw countered. The retired MMA star seemingly suggested that Volkanovski's crafty fighting style, particularly his elusiveness in the striking department, would help him outmaneuver Evloev. 

Dillashaw, as such, insinuated that their fight is unlikely to be the exciting war that some feel it'd be. He stated:

"No. Just because of the way 'Volk' fights. 'Volk's' very smart. He's very cerebral. He point-fights. He inside leg-kicks -- move around, land a shot, get out of the way. He's not a guy that's gonna be like a super -- especially, Evloev's not going to be able to cut him off and make it a banger... And I think it's going to be point fighting." 

Watch TJ Dillashaw's assessment of the upcoming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev showdown below (*comments at the 2:15-minute mark of the video): 

UFC 333 headliner Alexander Volkanovski could earn the honor of handing the formidable Movsar Evloev his first MMA defeat

Alexander Volkanovski boasts a professional MMA record of 28 victories and four defeats. The Australian combatant suffered a TKO loss against Corey Nelson early in his MMA career, at welterweight nonetheless. Volkanovski subsequently became a force to be reckoned with, competing at lightweight and primarily at featherweight. 

He notched the featherweight belt in the UFC and even fought Islam Makhachev twice, at lightweight, during the latter's UFC lightweight championship reign. "The Great" lost a razor-thin unanimous decision verdict to Makhachev in their first encounter in February of 2023. Also, Volkanovski stepped up on short notice and was knocked out by the Dagestani in October of the same year. 

Moreover, Volkanovski dropped the featherweight belt in 2024, in a knockout defeat against Ilia Topuria, who later moved up to lightweight. The Aussie reclaimed the belt by outworking Diego Lopes last April and then defended it by besting him again this February -- both times by unanimous decision. 

As of this time, the 37-year-old Volkanovski -- who recently fired back at the conjecture about his possible MMA retirement -- stands on the brink of another monumental challenge. His opponent, the 32-year-old Movsar Evloev, is the owner of a pro MMA record of 20-0. 

Evloev has accrued a 10-0 record since joining the UFC in 2019. The ferocious grappler's past five Octagon outings have seen him score points wins over respected fighters, namely Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, and Lerone Murphy.

Ergo, handing him his first MMA loss would be yet another feather in the cap of the legendary Volkanovski. The Volkanovski-Evloev UFC featherweight championship clash will headline UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on October 24.