Volkanovski Already Preparing For Expected Title Defense

Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) is anticipating confirmation the next defense of his UFC featherweight championship title will be against Movsar Evloev (20-0).

Volkanovski won the 145-pound title for the first time in 2019 when he beat Max Holloway over five rounds at UFC 245. He defended it five times. After two unsuccessful stints at lightweight challenging Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound championship, Volkanovski surrendered his UFC title to Ilia Topuria in a second-round knockout loss in 2024.

Volkanovski’s second reign as featherweight king began with a decision win over Diego Lopes in 2025, a victory he repeated in their rematch earlier this year. It is an open secret that his next defense would be against Evloev, an unbeaten fighter who has posted wins over Dan Ige, Aljamain Sterling, and Lerone Murphy in recent years.

“It’s pretty obvious [my next opponent is] probably going to be Movsar,” said Volkanovski. “We should get confirmation.”