UFC 333 goes down at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on October 24, with Alexander Volkanovski putting his featherweight title on the line against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev. The Australian is set for his second title defense since regaining the 145-pound crown with a victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 in April.
It wasn’t long ago that questions were swirling about Volkanovski’s future in the sport. His devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 had many wondering whether the former champion’s time at the top was coming to an end. However, the 37-year-old has answered those doubts with back-to-back statement wins at UFC 314 and UFC 325, showing that he’s far from finished.
Following his win over Lopes, Volkanovski made it clear that he wanted to test himself against the division’s rising stars, naming Lerone Murphy and Evloev as potential opponents. With the Russian now standing across from him at UFC 333, the champion has another major challenge ahead.
But Volkanovski isn’t looking at Evloev as the end of the road. If he gets past the undefeated contender in Abu Dhabi, several other featherweights will be eager to get their shot at the reigning champion.
Alexander Volkanovski Names Jean Silva, Aljamain Sterling, and Kevin Vallejos as Top Title Contenders
Alexander Volkanovski recently expressed frustration with fans constantly bringing up his retirement, making it clear that he has no plans to hang up his gloves anytime soon. The reigning featherweight champion is still looking ahead, and with his UFC 333 title defense against Movsar Evloev approaching, he’s already thinking about who could be next if he gets past the undefeated contender.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Volkanovski named a few featherweights who have caught his attention, including Jean Silva, Aljamain Sterling, and rising contender Kevin Vallejos.
“After Movsar, you’ve got your Jean Silvas, you’ve got your Aljamain (Sterlings), who are both pretty much in the exact same position.”
He added, “They’re the ones who stand out the most right now. … That’s another one – (Kevin Vallejos) there. So whether Kevin can get a title fight that quick and jump the line, I don’t know.”
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While Volkanovski has previously warned that Vallejos could become a serious problem in the division, he still sees Silva and Sterling as the more immediate threats to his title. However, the picture could become clearer soon, with Vallejos and Sterling scheduled to face each other at UFC Qatar next month.
Volkanovski also believes the matchup will be a major test for the young Argentine. While Vallejos has looked impressive so far, the champion wants to see how he handles an experienced opponent who knows how to make adjustments inside the Octagon.
“At the same time, Aljamain and Silva, they’re probably closest. But Kevin, he’s definitely someone – this is a test for him. You see a lot of guys who look good until they fight a veteran with fight IQ that’s calculated. Kevin is going to have a tough one here, but if he proves himself, he’s going to show that he deserves to be at the top.”
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All three contenders have built strong cases for themselves. Vallejos is 4-0 in the UFC and recently scored a brutal knockout victory over Josh Emmett. Silva is also coming off a submission win over Jose Delgado in the main event of Noche UFC. Sterling, meanwhile, has won two straight fights against Brian Ortega and Yousef Zalal.
With Volkanovski set to face Evloev at UFC 333, the champion has plenty of potential challengers waiting in the wings.