Alexander Volkanovski is set for another tough test as he puts his featherweight championship on the line against Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333 in just a few hours. The Australian is looking to make the second successful defense of his second reign at 145 pounds after regaining the vacant title by beating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 last April.
Standing across from him will be an undefeated contender who has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Evloev punched his ticket to the title fight by narrowly beating Lerone Murphy in a title eliminator at UFC London in March.
The Russian has steadily climbed the featherweight rankings, taking out several big names along the way. His resume includes victories over Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling, while his winning streak inside the Octagon has stretched to 10 fights.
However, former featherweight champion Max Holloway isn’t convinced the undefeated contender will have enough to dethrone Volkanovski. The Hawaiian has backed the Australian to come out on top when the two meet on October 24.
Max Holloway Reminds Fans of Alexander Volkanovski’s Performance Against Islam Makhachev Ahead of UFC 333
Taking to his YouTube channel, Holloway urged fans to give Volkanovski more credit ahead of his upcoming clash with Evloev. The former featherweight champion believes Volk has the tools to handle Evloev’s wrestling, especially after the Aussie held his own against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284.
He said, “With Volkanovski being Volkanovski, I think it’s a great matchup for him, with Volk’s biggest concern being damage, taking damage.”
Holloway also pointed out that fans seem to focus too much on Evloev’s wrestling credentials while overlooking what Volkanovski accomplished against one of the best grapplers in the sport.
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He added, “I like Evloev a lot. I know a lot of people keep talking about Movsar’s wrestling. It just blows my mind. I know he fought Islam twice, and I know everyone just thinks of the second one, like the first one never happened. Alexander Volkanovski was wrestling with one of the best 155-pound wrestlers in the world.”
While Holloway acknowledged that Evloev is a serious threat, he ultimately backed his former rival to get the job done. The Hawaiian believes Volkanovski’s performance against Makhachev deserves more recognition, especially when assessing how he could handle Evloev’s grappling.
He said, “I know Movsar is a beast. He’s 20-0, but again, Alex Volkanovski is just a different animal. I really think people are sleeping on Alex Volkanovski. I think a lot of people, a lot of fans, are still high on Movsar’s wrestling that they forgot about the first fight about what Alex did to Islam.”
Holloway also discussed Evloev’s effective jab and the damage Volkanovski could take during the fight. However, he believes the Australian can manage the distance with his own striking, use his jab to keep Evloev at bay, and pick his moments to wrestle during the 25-minute contest.
Ultimately, Holloway expects Volkanovski to do enough to secure a decision victory. He made his prediction clear while calling on fans to show the former champion more respect.
Max Holloway backs Alexander Volkanovski to beat Movsar Evloev!
#UFC #UFC333 #MMA https://t.co/LjjhqrmGEQ
— Scott (@ScottishProbl) October 23, 2026
Holloway said, “I think this is a great matchup for Volk. I think he goes out there and lands a lot for 25 minutes. He gets his hand raised in a decision. I’m going Volk here with a decision. I think the world is going to see. I think you guys have to put a little bit more respect on Volkanovski’s name. It’s going to be a great one.”
With a potential retirement superfight against Justin Gaethje also being discussed and contenders like Kevin Vallejos, Aljamain Sterling, and Jean Silva waiting for their opportunities, Volkanovski has plenty to look forward to. But first, he’ll need to get past Evloev at UFC 333 and prove that he still has what it takes to rule the featherweight division.