Volkanovski Stops Evloev, Eyes Oliveira

Alexander Volkanovski defended his UFC featherweight title at UFC 333 on October 26, 2026, by stopping Movsar Evloev in the second round. The victory preserved Volkanovski's hold on the 145-pound belt and set the stage for a potential move to the lightweight division. Evloev, who entered the fight unbeaten, absorbed the damage before the referee halted the contest. This marks the end of Evloev's perfect record and places him in a challenging position within the weight class.

Volkanovski has expressed interest in fighting Charles Oliveira in 2027. Oliveira is scheduled to defend the BMF title against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 in December. A bout between the two veterans would occur at a time when neither fighter shows signs of declining performance. Volkanovski told ESPN in September that he did not want to jump the queue at lightweight to face Justin Gaethje, particularly with Arman Tsarukyan positioned as a clear title challenger. A win over Oliveira would position Volkanovski as a legitimate contender for the 155-pound championship.

Petr Yan closed his trilogy with Merab Dvalishvili by winning a unanimous decision. The bantamweight champion now looks toward Sean O'Malley for his next opponent. O'Malley holds a controversial victory over Yan from 2022 and has won two fights since losing to Dvalishvili in 2024 and 2025. Those recent wins include a close decision against Song Yadong and a knockout of Aiemann Zahabi. While O'Malley's record may not strictly demand a title shot, his history with Yan makes the rematch a logical next step for the division.

Dvalishvili, who is now coming off his second consecutive loss, is expected to seek a rematch with Umar Nurmagomedov. The two fighters have a history of intense competition, with their first bout serving as the fight of the night at UFC 311 in January 2025. Nurmagomedov is likely to return to action by January, before Ramadan begins in February. Both fighters are currently on a loss, a factor the UFC often considers when arranging matchups. Dvalishvili waited ten months for his trilogy fight and is eager to re-enter the cage.

Movsar Evloev faces a difficult path back to title contention. He described his future in the weight class with the phrase, "maybe I'll try again," according to post-fight reports. Pat Sabatini is identified as the most obvious next opponent for Evloev, holding a record of 9-2 in the UFC. Steve Garcia is another potential candidate, having lost to Diego Lopes at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Evloev spent a long period rising to the top of the division and will likely require time to recover his standing.

Aaron Pico is positioned for a fight against Jean Silva. This matchup was suggested following Pico's victory over Patricio Pitbull in April. With Diego Lopes moving up to lightweight, Silva becomes a prominent target for Pico. Youssef Zalal is noted as a wildcard option for the featherweight division. Zalal, aged 30, returned to the UFC after being cut in 2021 and won five consecutive fights before losing to Aljamain Sterling in April.