“I do like that undefeated record… I’d love to take that 0, especially for legacy and where I’m at… Movsar, I think is still gonna be up there. I can see him being a problem for a while. I go take him out and he keeps building his resume, to have that name on my resume would be good.” Alexander Volkanovski said after beating Diego Lopes at UFC 314, showing his eagerness to face the undefeated Dagestani grappler. However, things didn’t turn out that way.

It is unlikely that Evloev will face Volkanovski as the next contender for the featherweight title, the Russian fighter, for many, is still the top contender. With notable victories over top contenders such as Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and even Lopes, he has steadily climbed the ranks. On a potential fight with Volk, Evloev said, “I think if I face him, I will just push him to the wall. So don’t let him run from me, don’t let him move. And then he has to exchange with me, then he will tire. Or I will break him because I know that I have bigger power, better wrestling, and I can control this guy for five rounds or finish on the ground.”

And while Evloev’s aspirations are clear, not everyone in the MMA community shares his optimism. Lerone Murphy, ranked #8 in the featherweight division, remarked, “I’m the most dangerous match up for him, obviously. And over there I can’t see, nobody. I think he beats Movsar over five rounds, for sure, because he is too smart. And I don’t think Movsar will be able to take him down that easily. If he does, Volkanovski will scramble and tire him out.”

On his chances against the featherweight champion, ‘The Miracle’ further added, “I’m a five round fighter. I can push the pace of five rounds easily, easily and I think that’s what’s will give Volkanovski difficulties. But I can’t see anybody else right now challenging him in that top five, top six anyway.”

Do you agree with Murphy’s statement? With nine wins in the UFC and an undefeated record of 19-0, Movsar Evloev is undefeated, yes, but he shares virtually identical records with Lerone Murphy. Both also have seven finishes to their name. However, the Englishman has two KO wins in the UFC. Furthermore, he last beat a true featherweight, Josh Emmett, in April, while his Dagestani counterpart beat Aljamain Sterling who moved up from bantamweight, last December.

But amid all of this. The champion they’re chasing is very busy setting records and preparing for whatever is coming for him in his second title reign. When ‘The Great’ outstruck and outclassed Lopes at UFC 314 for five rounds to earn the unanimous decision victory and become the featherweight champion again, he achieved something more.

Alexander Volkanovski becomes the oldest fighter to win a belt in a division below welterweight

At 36, Volkanovski became the first male fighter over the age of 35 to win a UFC championship in a weight class below welterweight (170 pounds). Before this, fighters aged 35 and older had a combined record of 0-17 in title fights within these lighter divisions. Furthermore, up until that point, fighters aged above 35 winning belts only happened at welterweight and the weight classes above it.

Volkanovski’s victory shattered this long-standing trend, demonstrating that age is not an insurmountable barrier to success in the UFC’s lighter-weight classes. In his post-fight interview, Volkanovski reflected on his journey, stating, “A lot of people counted me out… Adversity is a privilege.”

Yet that is not all, with the victory over Lopes, Volkanovski became only the second fighter in UFC history to hold the featherweight title twice, joining the ranks of ‘The King of Rio, José Aldo. This achievement underscores his resilience and ability to reclaim championship status amidst a highly competitive division. And we cannot forget the adversity Volkanovski was coming from before this fight. Before the UFC 314 main event, Volkanovski was coming off three straight losses. Twice to Islam Makhachev and then losing the 145-pound belt to Ilia Topuria—the last two being KO losses.

But he made his way back from adversity, and what a roaring comeback it was! The featherweight division is one of the most competitive divisions of the UFC, yet ‘The Great’ always manages to stand out. He once again sits atop the division, with a line of fresh contenders waiting to face him. Can any of them beat Alexander Volkanovski? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.