Volkanovski embraces age questions as unbeaten Evloev awaits his opportunity at UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski knows the questions about his age will follow him into the octagon. He welcomes them.

At 38, the UFC featherweight champion sees another opportunity to demonstrate how much he still has to offer when he faces unbeaten Movsar Evloev on Saturday in the main event of UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Evloev has spent years imagining that meeting. His confidence rests on beating the champion at his best, rather than waiting for him to decline.

Their contrasting perspectives frame a card that also features bantamweight champion Petr Yan defending his belt against Merab Dvalishvili in the third meeting between the rivals.

For Volkanovski, extending his career has required adjustments to preparation. He credits his team with managing nutrition, recovery and training demands while preserving the intensity that makes him effective.

“We need that intensity because that intensity needs to be the same that it was five years ago, but maybe not the volume,” Volkanovski said Wednesday.

He acknowledges he is a different athlete than he was in his early 20s. He believes his explosiveness, preparation and understanding of the sport can still produce one of his best performances.

The chance to overcome another opponent whose strengths have troubled other contenders motivates him.

“I just love challenging myself and overcoming them challenges,” Volkanovski said.

Evloev brings a 20-0 professional record, including victories in all 10 of his UFC appearances. Each of those UFC wins has come by decision, a record of sustained success that has also brought scrutiny of his fighting style.

Asked Wednesday about criticism that the sport also demands entertainment, Evloev pointed to the opportunity in front of him.

“I’m still here,” he said. “And I’m fighting for the title, right?”

The challenger described the championship fight as the moment he had awaited throughout seven years with the promotion. He began preparing for Volkanovski long before the matchup was scheduled, when the champion became the opponent he expected to face to reach his goal.

“In my mind I won this fight thousands of times, and mentally I’m ready,” Evloev said.

Their mutual respect has done little to soften their assessments of the matchup.

Volkanovski praised Evloev’s wrestling but said controlling him and damaging him present different problems. He expects attempts to land strikes on the ground to create opportunities for him to escape.

At the final pre-fight press conference Thursday, Volkanovski said he intends to force Evloev to strike by preventing sustained ground control.

Evloev believes the cumulative demands of his approach will test that confidence. He acknowledged Volkanovski’s endurance but questioned whether previous opponents had imposed the kind of pressure he intends to bring.

“I truly believe that nobody of his opponents give him the pressure I’m gonna bring this Saturday,” Evloev said Wednesday.

The co-main event offers its own test of adaptation.

Dvalishvili won their first meeting in March 2023. Yan reversed the result in December 2025, reclaiming the bantamweight championship and setting up Saturday’s deciding fight.

Yan supplied some of Thursday’s sharper words, promising a methodical approach against the challenger nicknamed “The Machine.”

“This machine is going to be taken apart, one detail at a time,” Yan said.

Volkanovski’s confidence rests on his ability to adjust through whatever challenges arise. Evloev believes he has prepared for precisely that opponent.

“You can try and take me down all day,” Volkanovski said Wednesday. “Even if you get it down, I’m gonna be smiling as I get back up, and be back in your face.”

AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts