Movsar Evloev has completely changed his plan for Alexander Volkanovski! 🔄👀 He has zero finishes in 10 UFC fights, but a few weeks ago he promised he would finally get one against Volk, now, he wants the exact opposite: 🗣️ "I was looking for a finish, but when I hear that kind of stuff, I don’t want a finish. I want to prove that he’s not special. I can beat him over five rounds. He’s confident. I like that confidence, but me too. Only the fight will show whose confidence works better." Via: (@mmajunkie)
Movsar Evloev has shifted his stated plan for a showdown with Alexander Volkanovski. After promising weeks ago that he would finally secure a finish against the featherweight champion, the unbeaten contender now says he would rather win on the scorecards.
Evloev, who has no finishes across 10 UFC fights, said the change came after hearing what he described as confident talk from Volkanovski's side. In comments relayed by MMA Junkie, he said he had been looking for a finish but no longer wants one. "I want to prove that he's not special," he said, adding that he believes he can beat Volkanovski over five rounds. Evloev said he likes the champion's confidence but has plenty of his own, and that only the fight will show whose works better.
The fighters
Evloev is 20-0 and ranked number one at featherweight. The 32-year-old Russian trains out of American Top Team and fights from an orthodox stance. He lands 3.91 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, but his grappling is the engine of his style: he averages 4.78 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Volkanovski, 38, is the featherweight champion and sits third in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Australian, who represents Freestyle Fighting Gym, is 28-4 and carries the nickname "The Great." His striking numbers are the more impressive on paper, with 5.99 significant strikes landed per minute at 57 percent accuracy. He has been less of a takedown threat, averaging 1.63 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Evloev's shift from finish-hunting to a five-round decision turns the fight into a test of proof: he wants to show he can outlast and outwork a champion.
- The matchup sets the unbeaten number-one contender against the reigning champion, with the title at the center of the divisional picture.
- Style contrast is clear. Evloev's takedown volume meets Volkanovski's higher-output, more accurate striking.
- Evloev's lack of stoppages in the UFC adds context to his decision-based approach, while the champion has not been shy about backing himself.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Movsar Evloev
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