UFC 333 was a tough night for Movsar Evloev. The Russian suffered the first loss of his MMA career after Alexander Volkanovski stopped him in less than two rounds. Despite a strong showing from Evloev early on, the Australian’s sharp striking and takedown defense proved too much to handle.
Volkanovski eventually landed a brutal overhand right that sent Evloev crashing to the canvas before referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop the fight. Following the loss, fighters like Paddy Pimblett and Dustin Poirier criticized Evloev for allegedly quitting when things got tough. However, the reigning featherweight champion has a very different take on the Russian’s performance.
Volkanovski believes Evloev remains a serious threat to the rest of the division and could give almost anyone at 145 pounds a tough night.
Alexander Volkanovski Believes Movsar Evloev Can Beat Every Other Contender at 145 Pounds
After the defeat, Evloev even changed his Instagram bio to 0-1. Despite seeing his perfect 20-fight record come to an end, the Russian remained humble and vowed to return stronger. Volkanovski believes that response, along with Evloev’s performance inside the Octagon, shows why he should not be counted out.
During his UFC 333 breakdown video, the featherweight champion praised Evloev’s game plan, saying, “A big part of his game plan was going to be to fire off the break as well, knowing that I’d get up so again; that game plan was perfect. I thought he would be a little more aggressive on the feet once he knew he couldn’t get the takedown as well.”
Volkanovski then explained why he believes Evloev would be a nightmare for most of the other contenders at 145 pounds.
“I thought Movsar did a much better; like I thought he still looked great as well. Again, I’m just the wrong guy. This is going to be hard for people to understand or believe, if that Movsar fought anyone else in the division, he walks through them.”
The Australian also insisted that he had faced the best version of Evloev but was simply a terrible stylistic matchup for the Russian. Volkanovski even warned Evloev’s next opponent to be ready for an even better performance from the former undefeated contender.
Alexander Volkanovski believes the Movsar Evloev he beat would “walk through” anyone else in the division, calling himself a nightmare matchup for the Russian.
“If that Movsar fought anyone else in the division, he walks through them. Walks through them. But I’m a different guy. I believe that was the best Movsar there was. People probably won’t get that, but I believe that.
“I’m just a nightmare matchup for him. Watch his next fight. It’ll be his best performance to date. Remember I said that.”
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The champion said, “It’s just, I’m a different guy. I believe that was the best Movsar that there was; people probably won’t get that, but I believe that it’s just I’m a nightmare matchup for him. Watch his next fight, and watch, it will be his best performance to date; remember I said that.”
Volkanovski also showed Evloev some love on Instagram after their fight, calling him a top contender and praising his performance. The Australian wrote, “Grateful for another night I’ll never forget. Nothing but respect for Movsar, undefeated for a reason and one hell of a competitor. Thank you for sharing the Octagon with me and bringing the best out of me.”
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Volkanovski’s assessment carries weight, considering Evloev entered UFC 333 with a perfect 20-0 record. While the Russian had yet to score a finish in the UFC before facing the champion, he had picked up notable wins over Aljamain Sterling, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Lerone Murphy.
Now that his unbeaten run is over, Evloev will have to regroup and work his way back toward another title opportunity. With several hungry contenders chasing featherweight gold, his next fight will be crucial.
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