VOLKANOVSKI STOPS EVLOEV TO RETAIN UFC FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE

Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight title by stopping Movsar Evloev in the second round at UFC 333 on 24 October. The fight took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Volkanovski hurt Evloev with punches before striking him on the ground. The referee stopped the contest as Evloev covered up. “He’s a legend,” Evloev said of Volkanovski after the fight.

Evloev entered the contest unbeaten as a professional and on a 10-fight winning streak in the UFC. He was the division’s No. 1-ranked challenger at the time. Both fighters landed calf kicks, jabs and punches in the opening round, while Evloev repeatedly sought takedowns. Evloev had some success wrestling near the fence, but Volkanovski returned to his feet. In the second round, Volkanovski landed a right hand and a left hook before continuing his attack on the ground.

The result took Volkanovski’s professional mixed martial arts record to 29 wins and four defeats, including 14 knockouts and three submissions. He had previously reclaimed the featherweight title after two knockout defeats. Volkanovski said he had promised his wife a quick fight so she would not be “stressing on the sidelines”. He said the damage he takes would affect his decision about continuing to fight. “So maybe we keep going,” he said.