White on Volkanovski: "Built Different" and Hard to Refuse

UFC CEO Dana White had few reservations about Alexander Volkanovski after UFC 333. At the post-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi, he called the featherweight champion "incredible" and went on from there.

"I mean, the guy is an absolute stud," White said. "Coming in and beating an undefeated, younger fighter, the guy is built — Volkanovski is incredible. He was the aggressive fighter. He was the one really going after him and trying to finish, and this guy's just f—king built different."

The fight itself ended on Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena. Movsar Evloev arrived with a 20-0 record and was six years younger than the champion. Many had expected his wrestling to be the problem for Volkanovski. Instead, Volkanovski pressed the action, and Evloev took the first loss of his professional career by second-round TKO.

How the finish came

Late in the second round, Volkanovski stunned Evloev with a combination and followed him to the canvas. He kept punching until referee Marc Goddard stepped in with six seconds left in the round.

It was his first finish since the 2023 win over Yair Rodriguez. The result also extended his record to nine wins in UFC featherweight title fights, passing Jose Aldo.

A superfight with Gaethje

Afterward, Volkanovski again floated a champion-versus-champion fight with lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje. He described it as a possible retirement fight for both men.

"A lot of times I'm like, 'I don't want to hold the divisions up,' but if I believe we can do this and not hold the divisions up, whether it's both our retirement fights and put it all on the line, it'd be cool," Volkanovski said. "A little bit of a superfight. Thirty-eight-year-olds going at it and just leave it all."

He made clear that this would not be a title fight. Unlike his two earlier trips to lightweight, he is not chasing another championship, and he does not want to fight Gaethje for the 155-pound belt. A non-title bout, in his view, would let both divisions move forward.

White did not rule it out. "When you've accomplished what he has accomplished, there's not much we're going to say no to with him," he said.

Source: MMA Mania