![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792653269_837_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Some of the biggest names in the sport are tipping Movsar Evloev to take his featherweight crown at UFC 333 this weekend. Many bookmakers have the challenger as favourite, too.<\/p>\n
Volk admits that the last part surprised him a bit.<\/p>\n
But he reckons there\u2019s an upside for the Australians backing him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time in a long time that I\u2019m the underdog,\u201d he told Fox Sports Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m shocked, but I\u2019m glad. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt means my supporters get to make money off it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being the underdog. I\u2019ve always said it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while Dustin Poirier, Jorge Masvidal and former rival Islam Makhachev are among those backing Evloev, Volk says the doubts give him something else to draw on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love people doubting me. It\u2019s always been something that\u2019s motivated me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aussie UFC champion Alex VolkanovskiSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Makhachev, who has twice shared the Octagon with the Aussie, has questioned whether the champion has much left in the tank.<\/p>\n
Volk isn\u2019t taking it personally.<\/p>\n
But he is looking forward to answering it on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people are going to look into my point of career and they\u2019re going to think, well, he\u2019s old and all that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, sweet. I mean, I get to prove them all wrong this week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside the Aussie\u2019s camp, the mood is considerably brighter than those predictions might suggest.<\/p>\n
Ahead of his title defence in Abu Dhabi, Volk says he has the energy and enthusiasm of someone whose championship years are only beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all in high spirits, feeling great. Weight is so good. Not nervous at all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would not think I\u2019m a 38-year-old man \u2026 you\u2019d think it\u2019s some guy that\u2019s fresh in his title era, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in a great position.\u201d<\/p>\n
What gameplan will Volkanovski bring? | 09:01<\/p>\n
As for Makhachev\u2019s prediction, Volkanovski understands why the Russian would support his countryman and training partner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re close. They\u2019ve trained together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard him touch on, like, I\u2019m 38 years old and stuff like that. So maybe he\u2019s thinking like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe that\u2019s what it is, or maybe he\u2019s just supporting one of his friends, fellow training partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I don\u2019t take anything personal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The years since Volkanovski first won the featherweight championship in 2019 have brought plenty of hard rounds.<\/p>\n
But the Windang Warrior believes they have also given him a better understanding of how to win them.<\/p>\n
Asked how he compares with the fighter who first claimed the belt, his answer was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch different fighter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot more composed. A lot more self-aware. Way better understanding of myself, of the sport itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a guy that just understands who he is and understands the game a lot more.\u201d<\/p>\n
That understanding will be tested by Evloev\u2019s smothering wrestling.<\/p>\n
But Volk believes the challenger will have problems of his own if he expects taking the Australian down and keeping him there to be straightforward.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows that he\u2019s going to really work for the takedowns,\u201d Volkanovski said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he would know that I\u2019m going to have answers for those takedowns, because he can\u2019t sit there and expect to just take me down and hold me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if he is, he\u2019s going to be in for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine your mental state if you\u2019re expecting to just grab me and hold me and make that look easy, and it doesn\u2019t go your way.<\/p>\n
Volk makes case for Gaethje superfight | 00:51<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just setting yourself up for failure. You\u2019re setting yourself up to just stress out and crumble.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to figure out quickly that his only way of winning is to knock me out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volkanovski expects Evloev\u2019s awkward striking to require some adjustments, but believes the Russian\u2019s preference for controlling opponents around the hips could suit his own style.<\/p>\n
And before Evloev can get hold of him, there is the problem of working out what the champion is doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not just a sitting target where I\u2019m just looking at you, giving you easy shots, giving you clear options,\u201d Volkanovski said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to understand footwork. You need to understand angles. You need to understand range.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something that he\u2019ll be trying to get his head around.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe probably won\u2019t even notice that I\u2019ve got him, that I\u2019m leading the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volk confident of title defence | 01:03<\/p>\n
The confidence extends beyond the technical side of the contest.<\/p>\n
Long before he was defending UFC titles, Volk was a front-rower for the Warilla Gorillas, running into opponents who towered over him.<\/p>\n
He reckons those afternoons helped build the resilience that still serves him inside the Octagon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had to run it straight at mountains of men,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have the courage to do that, you need to be pretty resilient. You need to be pretty durable.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe okay with playing injured. Be okay with a bit of pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat goes a long way, and you\u2019ve seen that be a big part of my career as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, though, the champion is enjoying himself.<\/p>\n
When \u201cDown Under\u201d plays and he begins the walk towards the cage, Volk plans to soak up the crowd and think about the Australians watching from home.<\/p>\n
Far from struggling to control his nerves, he says he sometimes needs to lift his excitement to reach the right level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can very easily just be too composed, too level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I do my best when I\u2019m that little bit excited. Not too excited, but a little bit excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
MORE UFC NEWS:<\/p>\n
US coach\u2019s shock Volk prediction… and the others Aussies to watch on epic card \u2014 UFC 333 Ultimate Guide<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s a legend\u2019: The insane Kostya Tszyu training regime surprisingly powering Volk\u2019s Russian title rival<\/a><\/p>\n