\u201cThe Great\u201d is aging like fine wine.<\/p>\n
Evloev entered the championship main event with a perfect 20-0 record, six years younger than the reigning Featherweight champion and the wrestling skills many believed would finally spell the end of Volkanovski\u2019s remarkable run.<\/p>\n
Instead, \u201cThe Great\u201d was the one pressing the action and stopped the Russian.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncredible,\u201d UFC CEO Dana White said during the UFC 333 post-fight press conference. \u201cI mean, the guy is an absolute stud. Coming in and beating an undefeated, younger fighter, the guy is built \u2014 Volkanovski is incredible. He was the aggressive fighter. He was the one really going after him and trying to finish, and this guy\u2019s just f\u2014king built different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volkanovski stunned Evloev with a combination late in the second round, chased him to the canvas and unloaded punches until referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight with just six seconds remaining. The victory marked Volkanovski\u2019s first finish since his 2023 win over Yair Rodriguez and extended his record to nine victories in UFC Featherweight title fights \u2014 passing Jose Aldo.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times I\u2019m like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to hold the divisions up,\u2019 but if I believe we can do this and not hold the divisions up, whether it\u2019s both our retirement fights and put it all on the line, it\u2019d be cool,\u201d Volkanovski said. \u201cA little bit of a superfight. Thirty-eight-year-olds going at it and just leave it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
White appears willing to grant that request.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019ve accomplished what he has accomplished, there\u2019s not much we\u2019re going to say no to with him,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n
Unlike his previous two trips to Lightweight, Volkanovski isn\u2019t chasing another championship. The 38-year-old clarified that he doesn\u2019t want to fight Gaethje for the 155-pound title and would prefer a non-title retirement superfight that allows both divisions to move forward.<\/p>\n
White sounds ready to make it happen. Now, the only question is whether Gaethje wants to share one final violent dance with \u201cThe Great.\u201d<\/p>\n