Alexander Volkanovski continues to find new ways to live up to his “Alexander the Great” moniker. Following his dominant second-round TKO victory over Movsar Evloev, Volkanovski now holds the record for the most title fight victories in UFC featherweight history, surpassing Jose Aldo, who had held the mark since 2012.

Perhaps even more impressive is Volkanovski’s continued ability to defy age. As the oldest active UFC champion and the oldest champion in featherweight history, questions about his longevity have followed him for years. Will he slow down? Has “Father Time” finally caught up to him? Can his chin continue to hold up against elite competition? Since returning at UFC 314 after a 14-month layoff, Volkanovski has answered every one of those questions emphatically. Following consecutive knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria in a span of less than four months, many wondered whether the former champion’s best days were behind him. Instead, he has reminded the MMA world why he has spent years atop the UFC Pound for Pound Rankings.

Fight Recap

At 20-0 entering the contest, Movsar Evloev was arguably the most overlooked undefeated contender in the UFC. Despite lacking finishes on his résumé, Evloev had earned victories over elite competition, including Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, Lerone Murphy, and former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

Evloev’s grappling-heavy style has frustrated some of the division’s best fighters. His pressure wrestling, relentless chain grappling, and awkward striking rhythm have created a puzzle none have his opponents have been able to solve. On Saturday night, however, it took Volkanovski less than two rounds to solve that puzzle. Mosvar Evloev won his first twenty career fights and earned himself a shot at the featherweight title because of his elite grappling. At UFC 310, Evloev demonstrated that he is one of the best grapplers on the UFC roster by going toe to toe with one of the most accomplished wrestlers in UFC history, Aljamain Sterling and securing a unanimous decision victory.

To defeat Alexander Volkanovski and fulfill his dream as UFC champion, Evloev needed to win the grappling exchanges. He did not. Evloev secured three of his four takedown attempts in round one, but he managed just 31 seconds of control time. Each time the challenger forced grappling exchanges, Volkanovski either scrambled free or immediately returned to his feet. He even successfully managed to switch positions, secure a takedown and briefly gain top control over Evloev which turned the tide of the fight.

For perhaps the first time in his UFC career, Evloev found himself in unfamiliar territory. He was not controlling the fight. While he had competed in close fights before, he had rarely been forced backward or denied success in grappling exchanges. Mosvar Evloev is no slouch in the striking department. He did a lot of good work in round one landing twenty significant strikes to Volk’s twenty-four. Nonetheless, Volkansovski is a world class striker possessed a significant power advantage. As round two progressed, it was clear Evloev’s confidence was decreasing and Volkansovski was able to walk down Evloev and secure the TKO finish. Fighters such as Sterling, Lopes, Murphy, and Allen were unable to impose that kind of pressure on Evloev. Volkanovski not only did it, but he did also it convincingly.

Alexander Volkanovski entered UFC 333 with questions surrounding his age, durability, and whether he could still compete at the highest level. By the end of the second round, he had answered them all. Against one of the division’s toughest undefeated contenders, Volkanovski showcased the well-rounded skill set, fight IQ, and championship composure that have defined his career. Most importantly, he reminded everyone that despite the rounds in the octagon, he remains the man to beat at 145 pounds.