Alexander Volkanovski Reveals Illness Before UFC 333 Title Fight
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski revealed that he had an illness before his title fight against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333.
In what was one of the most outstanding performances of his UFC Hall of Fame career, Volkanovski stopped Evloev via punches in the second round to defend his UFC featherweight title once again.
It was an absolutely amazing win by Volkanovski, and one that is even more impressive knowing that he was sick before the fight.
Alexander Volkanovski Says He Was Sick Before UFC 333
Speaking to reporters after UFC 333, Volkanovski revealed he was ill heading into the event, but he pushed through the pain and ended up collecting a huge win on his resume.
“It’s all good, it’s a part of the game. I started getting sick, I was like ‘it would’ve been too easy if I wasn’t sick.’ No matter what hurdles are in front of me, this (expletive) excites me,” Volkanovski said.
🚨 Alexander Volkanovski reveals he was sick when he fought Movsar Evloev today 🤒
"It's all good, it's a part of the game. I started getting sick, I was like 'it would've been too easy if I wasn't sick.'
No matter what hurdles are in front of me, this sh*t excites me." pic.twitter.com/zUHBaAqSv2
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 24, 2026
According to MMA reporter Oscar Willis, Volkanovski refused medication as he did not want to feel like he had an unfair advantage against Evloev.
“Alexander Volkanovski was very sick this morning, and refused to take medication (even ibuprofen) because he felt in some way it would be giving him a sporting advantage.”
Alexander Volkanovski was very sick this morning, and refused to take medication (even ibuprofen) because he felt in some way it would be giving him a sporting advantage.
— Oscar Willis (@oscarwillismma) October 24, 2026
What’s Next for Alexander Volkanovski?
After beating Evloev, Volkanovski took care of whom many feel was the most difficult title challenger in the UFC featherweight division.
For his next fight, Volkanovski will likely battle Jean Silva, who has been chasing a title shot against Volkanovski for some time now. Another option could be a matchup against the winner of the upcoming UFC Qatar fight between Aljamain Sterling and Kevin Vallejos; either of those men would be a credible title challenger for Volkanovski in his next bout.
Of course, he could also think about moving up to the lightweight division and challenging UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, though it ultimately remains to be seen what Volkanovski will do next. We only know that he is not planning on retiring, as he still has plenty of gas left in the tank, which we saw at UFC 333.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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