Alexander Volkanovski once again silenced his doubters at UFC 333, finishing Movsar Evloev in the second round to defend his featherweight title. The Aussie’s sharp striking and impressive takedown defense proved to be the difference as he handed the previously undefeated Russian his first career loss.
With the victory, Volkanovski secured his ninth featherweight title fight win, surpassing Jose Aldo’s record. At 38, “Old Man Volk” delivered one of the most impressive performances of his career, and it seems his latest triumph has inspired Israel Adesanya to make a comeback of his own.
Israel Adesanya Hails Alexander Volkanovski After Historic UFC 333 Title Win at 38
For the uninitiated, Adesanya is going through the toughest stretch of his MMA career. The former two-time middleweight champion is currently on a four-fight losing streak and made some major changes to his team earlier this year. In July, Adesanya announced that he was parting ways with longtime coach Eugene Bareman and City Kickboxing.
His latest setback came against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle, where he was stopped in the second round after his opponent unleashed a brutal ground-and-pound attack. Adesanya’s last victory came in 2023, when he knocked out Alex Pereira in their rematch at UFC 287.
Since then, the former champion has struggled to find his footing, going 1-5 in his last six fights. With many calling for him to retire, Adesanya has shown no intention of hanging up his gloves just yet.
Watching his former City Kickboxing teammate finish an undefeated opponent at 38 appears to have given Izzy another reason to keep fighting. Reacting to Volkanovski’s performance in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Adesanya couldn’t hide his excitement.
He said, “Let’s go, Volk! Let’s go, Volk. The best ever! F**k yeah. Legend. It’s legendary. All levels. Look at that. It (the finish) was early; I thought it was gonna be like round four.”
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Volkanovski’s dominant performance seemed to get Adesanya thinking about his own return to the Octagon. Clearly fired up by what he had just witnessed, Izzy exclaimed, “Look at him, just the blood. I can’t wait. Let me bang, bro. Just let me bang, bro.”
Adesanya could soon get the opportunity to make a statement of his own. Rumors suggest that he could face Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia on December 5. While the event and matchup have yet to be officially announced, several reports have pointed to the potential clash as Adesanya’s next challenge.
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With Volkanovski showing that age is no barrier to putting on a career-defining performance, Adesanya may be hoping to follow a similar path. Whether he can turn that inspiration into a much-needed win remains to be seen.