Volkanovski On Evloev's Wrestling: 'Nothing He Can Do'

Alexander Volkanovski believes Movsar Evloev will have no answer for his takedown defence at UFC 333.

Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against the unbeaten Evloev on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, per BJPenn.com and MMA Mania. The bout sits as a pick'em on betting lines, with both fighters carrying minus-110 odds at most shops. Evloev arrives 10-0 in UFC competition and 20-0 overall, most recently outpointing Lerone Murphy by majority decision after earlier wins over Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen.

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Volkanovski Says He Will Control Fight Location

The 38-year-old champion, coming off back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Diego Lopes, told UFC 333 Countdown that Evloev will be unable to implement his wrestling game. "He's going to want to shoot, and I will force it to be on the feet," Volkanovski said, according to BJPenn.com. "There is nothing he can do to stop that."

Volkanovski added that challenges from opponents no longer faze him. "I put myself in a much worse position than one man can ever put me in, and I will always find a way to the next position, where I am going to dominate and do my thing," he said. The Australian finished by suggesting this could be his brightest performance yet.

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Evloev has not stopped an opponent since his last fight outside UFC in July 2018, a submission of Rafael Dias at M-1 Challenge 95. His UFC run has been built on decisions, leading BJPenn.com to project the bout goes the full five rounds. MMA Mania noted Evloev leaned more on his striking against Murphy, perhaps to boost his entertainment value before a title shot, but suggested he may return to wrestling now that he has secured his opportunity at gold.

UFC 333 airs exclusively on Paramount Plus on Saturday, with a co-main event featuring bantamweight champion Petr Yan defending against Merab Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout.

Photo by Joshua Jamias on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — UFC 333’s best betting props, parlays and picks | Volkanovski vs. Evloev | MMA Mania
• bjpenn.com — UFC 333 Best Bets: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev goes long | BJPenn.com
• bjpenn.com — Alexander Volkanovski sends warning to Movsar Evloev ahead of UFC 333: 'Nothing he can do to stop that' | BJPenn.com