Volkanovski stopped Evloev in round two despite being sick, and says he would retire, win or lose, for a Gaethje super fight; nothing is booked.
From 44 reports by 22 outlets
Latest Volkanovski says he was sick before beating Evloev 3 updates 22 outlets
Results
Main card
- Alexander Volkanovski vs Movsar Evloev TKO (punches), R2 4:54 Featherweight title fight
- Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili unanimous decision, R5 5:00 Bantamweight title fight
- Lone'er Kavanagh vs Ramazan Temirov KO (punches), R1 Flyweight
- Aaron Pico vs Losene Keita KO, R1 Featherweight
- Dominick Reyes vs Azamat Murzakanov KO (head kick and punches) Light Heavyweight
- Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Nikita Krylov KO (knee), R1 Light Heavyweight
- Abus Magomedov vs Cam Rowston submission (guillotine choke), R1 Middleweight
- Kody Steele vs Noah Gugnon KO (punch), R1 Lightweight
What we know
- Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight title with a round-two TKO of Movsar Evloev; it was his second defense of his second reign.
- Evloev entered unbeaten at 20-0 and took his first career loss.
- Volkanovski said he got sick before the fight.
- Volkanovski says he would retire, win or lose, after a super fight with Justin Gaethje and would vacate the featherweight title.
- Dana White said there is not much the UFC would say no to with Volkanovski; no opponent or date has been named.
Reported, not confirmed
- Petr Yan retained the UFC bantamweight title in the co-main event and called out Song Yadong, who was ringside. The Independent UFC
Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev at 4:54 of round two at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi to retain the featherweight title. The finish ended Evloev's unbeaten run.
Volkanovski said afterwards he was ill heading into the fight. "I started getting sick, I was like 'it would've been too easy if I wasn't sick,'" he told reporters.
At the post-fight press conference he said a super fight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is something he would retire for, and that he would vacate the featherweight title whatever the result. Dana White said there is not much the UFC would say no to with him. Nothing is booked, and Gaethje has not committed to his own future.
Volkanovski said afterwards he was ill heading into the fight. "I started getting sick, I was like 'it would've been too easy if I wasn't sick,'" he told reporters.
At the post-fight press conference he said a super fight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is something he would retire for, and that he would vacate the featherweight title whatever the result. Dana White said there is not much the UFC would say no to with him. Nothing is booked, and Gaethje has not committed to his own future.
- Summary
- Volkanovski stopped Evloev in round two despite being sick, and says he would retire, win or lose, for a Gaethje super fight; nothing is booked.
- Key points (one per line)
- Volkanovski stopped unbeaten Movsar Evloev at 4:54 of round two to retain the UFC featherweight title
Volkanovski said he got sick before the fight
He says he would retire win or lose for a super fight with Justin Gaethje and would vacate his belt
No fight is booked; Dana White said there is not much the UFC would refuse him
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/dana-white/dana-white-very-supportive-alexander-volkanovski-justin-gaethje-super-fight/
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/23/dana-white-open-to-another-lightweight-shot-for-alexander-volkanovski-we-would-be-very-supportive/
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dana-white-opens-door-alexander-040316884.html
La Sueur | https://lasueur.com/dana-white-dit-oui-superfight-propose-alexander-volkanovski-24-10-2026
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dana-white-praises-alexander-volkanovski-051007258.html
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/dejna-uajt-vyskazalsya-o-potencialnom-boe-mezhdu-volkanovski-i-gejdzhi/
FightTime.ru | https://fighttime.ru/news/item/44475-v-ufc-podderzhali-ideyu-superboya-volkanovski-i-gejtzhi.html
Yardbarker MMA | https://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/18_1_featherweight_wants_alexander_volkanovski_to_fight_him_instead_of_justin_gaethje_after_ufc_333/s1_17651_44467886
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/kevin-valexos-ya-by-xotel-chtoby-volkanovski-pobedil-evloeva/
MMA Mania | https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-news/481203/dana-white-open-to-alexander-volkanovskis-proposed-gaethje-superfight-after-ufc-333-its-hard-to-say-no-to-a-guy-like-that
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/24/18-1-featherweight-wants-alexander-volkanovski-to-fight-him-instead-of-justin-gaethje-after-ufc-333/
MMA Mania | https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-odds/481818/latest-ufc-odds-justin-gaethje-opens-betting-favorite-smash-alex-volkanovski-not-by-much
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/volkanovski-finishes-evloev-six-seconds-from-the-horn-then-drops-a-hint-about-his-future
Sherdog | https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Volkanovski-Stops-200-Evloev-Yan-Beats-Dvalishvili-at-UFC-333-203315
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/24/alexander-volkanovski-vs-movsar-evloev-ufc-333-result-featherweight-title/
Yardbarker MMA | https://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/alexander_volkanovski_vs_movsar_evloev_ufc_333_result_featherweight_title/s1_17651_44469375
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/alexander-volkanovski-stops-movsar-evloev-212412643.html
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/alexander-volkanovski-stops-movsar-evloev-212605742.html
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/volkanovski-snaps-evloevs-20-fight-win-streak-with-seconds-left-in-round-2
Fight News Australia | https://www.fightnewsaustralia.com/winner-alex-volkanovski-defeats-movsar-evloev-at-ufc-333/
Lowking | https://www.lowking.pl/alexander-volkanovski-znokautowal-movsara-evloeva-obronil-pas-na-ufc-333/
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/rezultaty-i-bonusy-ufc-333-volkanovski-vs-evloev/
Cageside Press | https://cagesidepress.com/2026/10/24/alexander-volkanovski-ends-movsar-evloevs-unbeaten-run-retains-title/
MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/517610/alexander-volkanovski-vs-movsar-evloev-full-fight-video-highlights-ufc-333
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/alexander-volkanovski-vs-movsar-evloev-211334221.html
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/greatest-fw-ever-fighters-react-211501521.html
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-333-highlights-volkanovski-decimates-212044863.html
Combat Sports UK | https://combatsportsuk.com/news/864c6967-f0d9-497c-bb81-5a42b96caa53/alexander-volkanovski-stops-movsar-evloev-round-two-keeps-ufc-featherweight-title-ufc-333
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/old-lion-still-hungry-pros-213343169.html
Heavy on UFC | https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/ufc-333-bonuses-revealed-following-event/
The Independent UFC | https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/ufc/ufc-333-results-volkanovski-evloev-merab-yan-b3072810.html
BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/alex-volkanovski/pros-react-after-alexander-volkanovski-tkos-movsar-evloev-at-ufc-333/
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/alexander-volkanovski-becomes-first-man-215206708.html
MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/517579/alexander-volkanovski-stops-movsar-evloev-with-barrage-of-shots-to-defend-title-in-ufc-333-main-event
MMA Mania | https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-333-fight-card-start-time-live-stream-volkanovski-vs-evloev/481778/highlights-alexander-volkanovski-decimates-movsar-evloev-with-violent-second-round-tko-ufc-333-results-video-paramount
X: @ufc | https://x.com/ufc/status/2114117455719305457
BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/alex-volkanovski/ufc-333-results-alexander-volkanovski-tkos-movsar-evloev-video/
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/mma/article/ufc-333-takeaways-alexander-volkanovski-just-ended-the-featherweight-goat-debate-movsar-evloev-petr-yan-merab-dvalishvili-225148246.html
Combat Sports UK | https://combatsportsuk.com/news/7cb89c7d-38e5-4b62-ac1b-430466aee47a/alexander-volkanovski-would-retire-win-or-lose-after-justin-gaethje-super-fight
Heavy on UFC | https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/alexander-volkanovski-reveals-illness-ufc-333/
MMA Fanatik Slovakia | https://sport.aktuality.sk/mma-fanatik/video-tak-toto-cakal-malokto-v-zapase-volkanovski-vs-neporazeny-evloev-rozhodli-posledne-sekundy-druheho-kola/
SUPER LUTAS | https://www.superlutas.com.br/noticias/379744/video-luta-assista-nocaute-alexander-volkanovski-evloev-ufc-333/
Ag. Fight | https://agfight.com/ufc/volkanovski-nocauteia-movsar-evloev-no-ufc-333-e-ultrapassa-recorde-de-jose-aldo/
ActuMMA | https://www.actumma.com/alexander-volkanovski-fait-tomber-linvaincu-movsar-evloev-au-2eme-round-et-garde-son-titre-a-lufc-333/194132/
Last edited:
Watch
Fighters in this story
Movsar Evloev
Alexander Volkanovski
Justin Gaethje
Kevin Vallejos
Lone'er Kavanagh
Dominick Reyes
Noah Gugnon
Azamat Murzakanov
Abus Magomedov
Merab Dvalishvili
Aaron Pico
Ramazan Temirov
Petr Yan
Losene KeitaMore photos
How the story developed
-
Volkanovski says he was sick before beating Evloev
Heavy on UFC
-
Volkanovski says he would retire, win or lose, for a Gaethje super fight and vacate the title
Combat Sports UK
-
Volkanovski retains title and says 'maybe we keep going'; no next fight named
Knockout Daily
Sources
-
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned
×10
-
BJPenn.com
×3
-
Bloody Elbow
×3
-
Blood & Sweat
×3
-
MMA Mania
×3
-
Heavy on UFC
×2
-
Combat Sports UK
×2
-
Knockout Daily
×2
-
Yardbarker MMA
×2
-
MMA Fighting
×2
-
La Sueur
-
FightTime.ru
- Sherdog
-
Fight News Australia
-
Lowking
-
Cageside Press
-
The Independent UFC
- X: @ufc
-
MMA Fanatik Slovakia
-
SUPER LUTAS
-
Ag. Fight
-
ActuMMA
Summarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
Is this story accurate?
Updated
This story just changed.