Volkanovski stops Evloev in round two at UFC 333 after promising his wife a quick night

Alexander Volkanovski had promised his wife a quick night, and he delivered at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, stopping Movsar Evloev in round two to hold on to his featherweight belt.

The wedding anniversary was on Wednesday, and he said he told her it would be quick so she would not be stressing on the sideline. He was grinning when he said it.

How the fight ended

A heavy combination drove Evloev back against the cage. Volkanovski chased him down to the canvas and landed a run of unanswered blows. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in with six seconds left in the round.

The Australian, 38 and a two-time champion, came out of the first round without much damage. In the second, his sharp striking started to tell, and a glancing blow to the temple briefly put Evloev down.

Evloev, 32, tried to use his grappling edge but had no answer to Volkanovski's smart fighting style. The result ended the Russian's unbeaten run of 20 professional fights.

What Volkanovski said afterwards

"It feels good to get a finish," he said in his post-fight interview.

He also thanked everyone watching. "I really do appreciate it, I feel it from everyone, from the UFC staff, the fighters, every fan," he said.

According to CNA, his performances in title fights have led pundits to consider him the best-ever featherweight.

The co-main event

At The Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Russia's Petr Yan kept his bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili. The pace was frantic from the first bell.

Yan, 33, had won the belt from Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in December 2025. This time he withstood a stream of takedown attempts, and his punches left Dvalishvili with several red welts on his face.

It was the third time Dvalishvili had faced Yan in the UFC. He kept bouncing back from shots to the body and head, but Yan stayed composed and took all three judges' scorecards, 48-47.