Alexander Volkanovski Stops Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 to Keep Featherweight Title

Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC featherweight championship by stopping Movsar Evloev at 4:54 of the second round Saturday in the UFC 333 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The UFC’s official result records a technical knockout by strikes, ending the scheduled five-round title fight with six seconds left in the second. Evloev had entered the event unbeaten and as the division’s No. 1 contender.

Volkanovski’s finish denied the challenger the chance to take the contest into the championship rounds. MMA Mania’s fight report described the champion overwhelming Evloev with punches before the stoppage, completing a successful defense against a contender whose wrestling had made this a closely watched matchup.

The result concluded the top bout on a card featuring two championship fights. Petr Yan retained the bantamweight belt in the co-main event, winning a unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili after five rounds.

The stoppage was Volkanovski’s first finish since his win over Yair Rodriguez more than three years ago, MMA Mania reported. Evloev had reached the Abu Dhabi title fight without a professional defeat.