Volkanovski halts Evloev in Abu Dhabi to record ninth featherweight title win

Alexander Volkanovski defeated Movsar Evloev inside two rounds at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October 2026, stopping the previously unbeaten Russian with ground-and-pound at the Etihad Arena. The 38-year-old became the first UFC featherweight to win nine title fights, surpassing Jose Aldo's total of eight.

Volkanovski, who had lost his belt to Ilia Topuria in February 2024, produced his second successful defence since regaining the vacant title last April. The stoppage came in the final seconds of the second round when referee Marc Goddard waved off the contest as Evloev was unable to defend himself. As each fight brings him closer to the end of his UFC career, Volkanovski embraced the support of the fans inside the arena as he made the familiar walk to the Octagon.

Evloev, 32, settled into the contest early and finished the first round with more significant strikes and takedowns despite the champion's strong opening, making the opening frame closer than many expected. At the start of round two Volkanovski clipped his rival and momentarily sent him to the floor; in the final minute he landed an overhand right, secured top position and unleashed a finishing sequence that ended the fight. The victory was the first loss of Evloev's professional career.

"He's a great fighter, and he was undefeated for a reason. I just said I'm the right guy for that job," said Volkanovski. "I have nothing but respect for him. It feels good to get a finish. "I'm so blessed. I'm very happy to be where I am and to be able to do what I'm doing in this sport - and choose to do it. I don't have to. I said if I didn't take too much damage, we'd probably keep going. So maybe we keep going."

"He's like good wine - older, stronger, better. He's a true legend, I'm grateful for this opportunity to be here," said Evloev. "This is a great lesson for me. "I didn't prove that I am the best. I'm not there yet. Maybe we'll try again. I need to go home, get some rest and recover from my injuries. "As I said, Alex is a great champion, and I'm glad to be here to share the cake with him. It's better to lose to a guy like him than to someone who isn't as good as him."

In the co-main event, Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in a trilogy fight to make a successful first defence of his bantamweight title. The 33-year-old Yan recovered from a sluggish start after Dvalishvili's relentless opening and turned the contest with a well-timed liver kick in the final minute of the third round that shifted momentum in the championship rounds. "I usually take a little bit of time to warm into a fight, but in this one, I knew he was eventually going to gas out, so I needed to take the time for him to lose all of his power and lose the fight," said Yan.

The win took Yan to 13 victories in the bantamweight division, with only Aljamain Sterling and Chito Vera (14) recording more. Yan added: "I am the champion of this organisation. I do not pick fights. The UFC puts the next contender in front of me, and I am ready to fight any of them. "Give me Song Yadong, King Kong, give me anyone. Just make the weight, and I'll take you down."

Earlier in the card, Lone'er Kavanagh reignited his flyweight title ambitions by recording the first stoppage victory of his UFC career, a first-round finish of Ramazan Temirov that handed the Uzbek his first defeat in the promotion. A little over three months after losing to Brandon Royval, the 27-year-old Briton rocked Temirov with a flush left hook and followed with a right hand before sealing the victory with a flurry of downward punches, forcing the stoppage with 32 seconds remaining in the opening round. "We've learned from previous mistakes. One of those mistakes was keeping my hands up, so I made sure I had my hands up and made sure I could counter," said Kavanagh, who is ranked sixth in the flyweight division. "I'm here for that belt and, respectfully, anyone can get it."

Shortly after Kavanagh's win, it was announced flyweight champion Joshua Van would defend his title against Manel Kape. The defence is scheduled for UFC 336 in January.