Alexander Volkanovski kept his UFC featherweight championship at UFC 333, overwhelming previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev with punches for a second-round TKO at 4:54. It was the 38-year-old Australian’s ninth victory in a featherweight title fight. After the win, he turned to a possible final challenge: a retirement fight with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
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How Volkanovski finished Evloev
Volkanovski’s striking helped blunt the threat of Evloev’s wrestling. A fight recap described the champion using inside leg kicks, jabs and overhand rights to keep the challenger under pressure and disrupt his offense.
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The decisive sequence came late in the second round. Volkanovski sent Evloev to the canvas with punches and continued attacking until referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at 4:54. The official result was a TKO by punches.
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The finish ended Evloev’s unbeaten professional run. Volkanovski left Abu Dhabi with a record of 29–4, while Evloev fell to 20–1.
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The eye injury and illness reports
Coverage of the event reported that Volkanovski fought while sick and refused medication, but the available reporting does not establish a precise diagnosis.
19 The provided post-fight accounts also don’t offer enough reliable detail to confirm the nature or timing of a reported eye injury, so it’s difficult to say how it affected the bout.
A ninth title-fight win
The victory added another milestone to Volkanovski’s featherweight record: his ninth win in a title fight in the division. Reports described the result as a record.
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18 Accounts differ on how that total compares with Jose Aldo’s mark, so the clearest supported takeaway is the nine-win milestone itself.
UFC 333 also featured a bantamweight title fight. In the co-main event, Petr Yan retained his championship against Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in their trilogy meeting.
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Volkanovski’s proposed final fight with Gaethje
After the Evloev win, Volkanovski called for a matchup with reigning lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. He described it as a fight he would retire for, framing the proposed bout as a final contest for both men.
45 He has also said he does not want to hold up a division; the available reporting does not establish that a Gaethje fight has been booked.
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Dana White was reported as being inclined to give Volkanovski what he wanted next, potentially including the Gaethje matchup. That reporting is not confirmation that the UFC has approved or scheduled the fight.
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MMA Mania reported Gaethje as a slight opening betting favorite, but the available excerpt does not provide the opening odds.
2 The proposal therefore remains a possible farewell matchup, not a confirmed next bout.