Volkanovski Defends Against Evloev At UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi, the promotion confirmed Thursday.

The champion and challenger appeared at a pre-fight press conference hosted by Dana White at 7 p.m. ET, according to MMA Mania. Bantamweight champion Petr Yan and former titleholder Merab Dvalishvili also attended ahead of their trilogy bout in the co-main event at Etihad Arena.

Islam Makhachev Backs Evloev Over Volkanovski

Welterweight champion Islam Makhachev told Russian outlet Ushatayka that Evloev's youth could be the difference against a fading champion. "Volkanovski already, to be honest, not at that peak he had a couple of years ago," Makhachev said, per MMA Mania's report. "Although, he is still one of the best fighters. I think it'll be a very competitive fight, but Movsar I hope will get his result."

Evloev enters the title shot with a perfect record at 145 pounds. Volkanovski has not lost since his knockout defeat to Islam Makhachev at lightweight.

The UFC 333 card streams live on Paramount Plus from the United Arab Emirates.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC 333 press conference video, LIVE stream interviews | Volkanovski vs. Evloev