Volkanovski dismisses Evloev's wrestling ahead of record-breaking UFC 333 title defence

Alexander Volkanovski has conceded that Movsar Evloev possesses elite wrestling but made clear he has no intention of letting it decide their UFC featherweight title fight at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi — a bout that would set a new record for most title defences in the division’s history.

Speaking at the UFC 333 media day on Wednesday, Volkanovski acknowledged that Evloev — unbeaten at 10-0 in the UFC and 20-0 overall — represents a genuine grappling threat. The Russian has landed 49 takedowns inside the octagon, including 22 across fights against Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes.

“[Evloev has] incredible wrestling,” Volkanovski said. “One of the best in the UFC, definitely the best in our division. But again, it’s just not enough for me, you know what I mean?”

The Australian champion’s confidence is grounded in a strong statistical case. Across 18 UFC bouts over the past decade, Volkanovski has won 15 and conceded just 10 takedowns in featherweight contests — winning every single one of those fights. The only fighter to take him down with real frequency was Islam Makhachev, who managed four in their first meeting, though that contest was contested at lightweight.

Volkanovski went further, suggesting he would back himself even in a pure grappling exchange. “To be honest, I believe if we went five rounds of no strikes and just wrestling, grappling, I’ll beat him there,” he said. “I truly do believe that. I think he’s got great wrestling, but when it comes to MMA and all that sort of stuff, it’s just not enough.”

Despite the confident tone, Volkanovski was careful to frame his words as tactical assessment rather than disrespect. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s a great fighter, great wrestler, but again, these things are not problems for me. Even if you get me there, I’m not going to panic. We know I’m going to get back to the feet and the damage that he’s going to try and do in those positions, it’s going to be impossible. As soon as he tries to do damage, he’s just going to lose me straight away.”

A victory on October 24 would move Volkanovski clear of the featherweight record books, cementing a legacy already built on one of the most dominant title runs in UFC history.