Sick Volkanovski reveals lung fears drove second-round TKO of Evloev at UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski retained his UFC featherweight title at UFC 333 by stopping Movsar Evloev with punches at 4:54 of the second round, but the champion has since revealed he was fighting through illness and genuinely uncertain whether his lungs would hold up for a full five-round effort.

Speaking to Brendan Bradford in comments shared by Home of Fight on X, Volkanovski explained that breathing difficulties became apparent as he began turning up the pressure midway through the second round.

“I had to take some big breaths,” Volkanovski said. “You could see that I started putting that pressure on, especially in the second round. It was like, alright, let’s start finding this finish.”

The featherweight champion acknowledged that the illness introduced a level of doubt he does not typically carry into a title defence. Rather than managing the fight over five rounds, he felt compelled to seek a stoppage before his condition could become a decisive factor.

“Again, I don’t want to go five rounds. I don’t know if these lungs can hold up being [sick] and all,” he added. “And not only that, I started to see everything and knowing that the finish probably would come.”

Volkanovski’s ability to convert that urgency into a clean second-round TKO underlines both his finishing instincts and his capacity to perform under physical duress. The win extends his reign as featherweight champion and adds another stoppage victory to a record that already features numerous finishes at the highest level of the division.