Volkanovski Channels 'Street Fighter' to Declare Dominance Over Evloev Ahead of UFC 333 Showdown

Alexander Volkanovski made a striking entrance at the UFC 333 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, sporting a blonde wig to embody his character "Joe" from the Hollywood movie Street Fighter. The reigning UFC featherweight champion, 38, is set to defend his title against the undefeated Movsar Evloev in the main event at UFC 333 this Saturday. A victory for Volkanovski at Etihad Arena would mark his ninth title fight win in the 145-pound division, surpassing the legendary Jose Aldo.

Volkanovski expressed respect for Evloev, the No. 1 contender, acknowledging his elite wrestling and well-rounded skill set. However, the champion asserted that Evloev's abilities, while impressive, are not enough to overcome him. "I believe I've seen that puzzle before, but he's undefeated and knows how to win, but I just don't think that's enough," Volkanovski stated. "He's got all the skills; he can take it anywhere. I think he's the most well-rounded [fighter], but I think I get my hand raised 'And still ...' once again."

This potential win would further solidify Volkanovski's claim as the greatest featherweight in history, as he enters his second reign as champion. Evloev, who remains undefeated in his 20-fight career, has adopted a style reminiscent of Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders. Volkanovski aims to be the first to hand Evloev a loss. "He doesn't have a loss yet. So, that's something that I want to take from him."

Evloev, 32, earned his title shot with a win over Lerone Murphy earlier this year, where he initially engaged in a striking battle before resorting to grappling. Volkanovski advised his opponent to leverage his strengths but warned that he would control the fight's narrative. "I think he could have made that fight look a lot easier. You could see he was the better fighter. But like I said, just don't try that on me; come bring your best game. Try and take me down," Volkanovski urged. "If it's going to be forced on the feet, it's because I'm going to make it be on the feet. And this will be the most dangerous we've ever seen Mov because he's never been forced to fight on the feet. So, he can't panic shoot. He's going to have to panic punch. Let's see how dangerous he is on his feet."

Evloev, however, expressed confidence in his ability to adapt to any scenario and vowed to prove Volkanovski wrong. "I don't have a game plan. I can solve everything. He brings striking, OK, no problem. If you want to be knocked out, I'll do that. But when he says I cannot take him down or something, with all respect to the champ, I can do anything I want, and I'll prove it."

In the co-main event, Petr Yan will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili. This marks the third encounter between the two elite bantamweights, with Dvalishvili seeking to even the score after losing the first bout. Yan, who secured the title from Dvalishvili in December, is confident despite the history. "Guys, for me this is a new fight. I don't want to think about the last fight. Today I have a big goal: I want to smash this guy. I want to defend my title," Yan declared.

Yan, 20-5, has a strong history in Abu Dhabi, having won his first bantamweight title there against Jose Aldo in 2020 and successfully defending it against Corey Sandhagen. He also defeated Marcus McGhee in the UAE capital. "Abu Dhabi for me is the best place. I remember 2020 when I was here and win my belt against Jose Aldo, and I have already defended my title here [against Sandhagen]," Yan recalled. "And on 24 October, I smash this guy one more time." Dvalishvili, conversely, expressed his love for Abu Dhabi and his belief in his mental strength and connection with the crowd to secure a victory. "Saturday night, this is my territory. I love Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi loves me, right? Let's go!, " he stated. "I'm the king, bro. People always will be with me because I love people and they love me. They support me and I'm grateful for that. Mentally, I'm very strong. You know, all I have to do is just bring myself in the octagon Saturday and everything will be good. I believe in myself and I believe in my style. I can beat him this time."