Volkanovski stops Evloev to retain UFC featherweight title

Alexander Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev by technical knockout in the second round of their UFC 333 featherweight title fight, handing the Russian his first professional defeat and retaining the championship. The stoppage came at 4:54 of the second round. Evloev entered the bout unbeaten and was challenging Volkanovski for the featherweight title. The result ended his perfect record, while Volkanovski successfully defended his belt. After the fight, Evloev told Daniel Cormier that it had been a terrible performance for him and praised Volkanovski as a great champion. He said the Australian had grown stronger with age and that he was grateful for the opportunity to share the cage with him. Evloev also said he had not proved he was the best. He planned to return home, rest and recover from injuries before deciding what to do next. In a social-media post, he accepted the result and congratulated Volkanovski, saying the champion had been the better man that day. Paddy Pimblett criticized Evloev’s defense in the closing moments of the round, saying in a video on his YouTube channel that the challenger had quit. Pimblett argued Evloev should have kept moving rather than covering...