Alexander Volkanovski says he was sick at UFC 333: ‘Too easy’ otherwise

For Alexander Volkanovski, overcoming adversity means more than championship gold.

By Sourav Chakraborty · Sherdog

Published: Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 4:18 AM

Key Things to Know

Alexander Volkanovski revealed he fought through an illness during his title defense at UFC 333.
Volkanovski defeated Movsar Evloev via second-round stoppage at 4:54 to hand him his first loss.
The Australian fighter recorded his seventh successful UFC featherweight title defense across two reigns.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Alexander Volkanovski revealed he was dealing with an illness heading into his featherweight championship defense against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333. Despite the illness, Volkanovski retained his title by stopping the previously undefeated challenger at 4:54 of the second round, earning a performance bonus and handing Evloev his first professional defeat.

Speaking at the postfight press conference, Volkanovski embraced the adversity, stating that overcoming illness and difficult challenges excites him more than championship gold. The victory marked the Australian champion's seventh successful featherweight title defense across two separate championship reigns.

Read the full article on Sherdog

Alexander Volkanovski says he was sick at UFC 333: ‘Too easy’ otherwise

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