Volkanovski Eyes Lightweight After Seventh Title Defense

Alexander Volkanovski stopped previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the second round at UFC 333 Saturday, then revealed he fought through illness to secure his seventh featherweight title defense across two reigns.

The 38-year-old Australian finished Evloev at 4:54 of the second frame to hand the Dagestani his first professional loss. At the postfight press conference, Volkanovski described the sickness as just another obstacle he relished. "It's all good, it's a part of the game," he said, per Sherdog. "I started getting sick, I was like, 'It would've been too easy if I wasn't sick.'"

What's Left For Volkanovski At Featherweight

The win leaves few meaningful challenges at 145 pounds. As MMA Mania noted, Volkanovski has already beaten popular contender Diego Lopes twice, and prospective matchups with Jean Silva or Lerone Murphy feel like foregone conclusions. The champion's two losses to Islam Makhachev at lightweight and knockout defeat to Ilia Topuria raised questions about his future, but this latest run has answered them definitively.

A second attempt at the lightweight belt appears to be the only goal worth the training camp grind. Volkanovski suffered no shame losing twice to Makhachev, and a bout with Justin Gaethje would give him a path to double-champ status. If Gaethje retires, matchups with Arman Tsarukyan or a rematch with Topuria at 155 pounds could provide similar appeal.

Volkanovski emphasized after the fight that overcoming adversity matters more than gold. "I don't really care about this," he said of the title, according to Sherdog. "I just care about overcoming challenges." The UFC has not announced his next opponent, but the champion is expected to pursue a lightweight title shot before retiring.

Photo by Tanusree Mitra on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Lightweight the only challenge left for Alexander Volkanovski | MMA Mania
• sherdog.com — Alexander Volkanovski says he was sick at UFC 333: 'Too easy' otherwise