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Alexander Volkanovski not thinking retirement, but would consider it if ‘things go terribly wrong’ against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333

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Alexander Volkanovski not thinking retirement, but would consider it if ‘things go terribly wrong’ against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333

Alexander Volkanovski is one of the UFC's most enduring champions, but retirement talk is inescapable as he heads into his UFC 333 main event title defense against Movsar Evloev.

“The Great†headlines the Oct. 24 event in Abu Dhabi with his featherweight championship on the line. Volkanovski will be 38 by the time he makes his next walk to the octagon, and is currently in his second reign as 145-pound champion, having successfully defended it against Diego Lopes this past February. That marked Volkanovski's sixth championship defense overall.

He has long maintained his intention to compete as long as he's physically able and enjoying fighting, but admitted in an interview with Australia's 10 News that a bad night against Evloev could accelerate his retirement plans.

“If things go terribly wrong, alright, we're done,†Volkanovski said. “If things go very well, like the last one, no damage, go through, alright, we'll keep it rolling.â€

Volkanovski won 25 of his first 26 pro fights before venturing up to lightweight to challenge Islam Makhachev. He lost a pair of fights to the now-welterweight champion, a close decision at UFC 284 and then a knockout loss at UFC 294 in a rematch that Volkanovski took on 10 days' notice as a replacement for Charles Oliveira.

Ilia Topuria then knocked Volkanovski out at UFC 298 to claim the featherweight title—Volkanovski's first-ever loss competing at 145 pounds—but after Topuria exited the division to move up to lightweight, Volkanovski became champion again by claiming a vacant belt with a win over Lopes before defeating him again in a rematch.

That resilience has kept Volkanovski near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, and if he gets past the undefeated Evloev or at least delivers another memorable performance on Oct. 24, don't expect Volkanovski to leave the business anytime soon.

“Taking each fight as it goes, just trying to be real with it,†Volkanovski said. “But I don't have plans on retiring right now.â€

As for what keeps bringing him back, Volkanovski mentioned enjoying training, competition, and one more key factor.

“Money's always good,†Volkanovski said with a laugh.

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MMA

UFC champ Justin Gaethje stumps for Trump at GOP midterm convention

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UFC champ Justin Gaethje stumps for Trump at GOP midterm convention
Justin
Gaethje is campaigning for the Republican Party in the upcoming
United States midterm elections.

Gaethje recently took to the podium at the 2026 Republican Midterm
Convention in Dallas. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder strongly
supported Donald Trump, emphasizing the importance of voting.

Justin Gaethje urges Republican turnout during speech at Dallas
convention

He urged Republican supporters to vote with the same fervor as they
did in the 2024 presidential election. Gaethje also believes
President Trump and the Republican Party want the best for
everyone, even their political competitors.

“In fighting, your last fight is how people remember you, but your
next fight is the only one that matters,†Gaethje said. “Everybody
has to understand how important these elections are and we have to
get out and vote. One mistake I’ve made in my career was becoming
complacent while I was on a winning streak and forgetting how
unforgiving my sport can be. If we are not just as passionate about
voting and winning in these midterms as we were in the last
presidential election, then we risk getting knocked out and losing
all the momentum we have been fighting for. Everything we want for
the future of America is at stake. I want to live under a
conservative form of government in a free and capitalist society.
And I truly believe President Trump wants the best for every
American, no matter the political side of the aisle they fall
on.â€

Apart from Gaethje, Bo Nickal
(9-1) also spoke at the convention. Nickal thanked Trump for his
constant support and the opportunity to compete at
UFC Freedom 250 at the White House this past June.

Trump is a close friend of UFC CEO Dana
White and has also had the support of several UFC stars
previously. Colby
Covington, Jorge
Masvidal and Henry
Cejudo, among others, have previously taken to the stage to
publicly back Trump.

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MMA

Zabit Magomedsharipov’s undefeated brother gets biggest test yet at PFL Dubai

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Zabit Magomedsharipov’s undefeated brother gets biggest test yet at PFL Dubai
The
Professional Fighters League's next Dubai card is taking
shape.

The event, scheduled for Nov. 14 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, will
be headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Vadim
Nemkov and Sergey
Bilostenniy. Two more bouts have now been added to the card,
featuring a former Bellator
MMA champ and the brother of a former
Ultimate Fighting Championship star.

Khasan Magomedsharipov faces Adam Borics on Nov. 14 PFL Dubai
card

Sergio
Pettis (25-8) is set to take on Joji Goto
(20-9) in a bantamweight tilt at
PFL Dubai. Pettis is coming off a decision loss to Mitchell
McKee this past April, which snapped a two-fight winning
streak. Meanwhile, Goto, who makes his PFL debut, is coming off a
first-round submission win over Azizbek
Temirov.

Khasan
Magomedsharipov (11-0) will look to maintain his perfect record
when he takes on Adam Borics
(20-4) in a featherweight matchup at PFL Dubai. Khasan is the
brother of former UFC standout Zabit
Magomedsharipov and often displays a similarly well-rounded
skill set.

A flyweight
title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in on Saturday, Oct. 16 at
11 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Khasan has finished eight of his 11 career wins so far and is
coming off a first-round submission win over Joshua
Weems. Meanwhile, Borics has dropped two of his last three and
comes off a decision loss against A.J. McKee.
The Hungarian is a wily veteran with a ton of experience and likely
to be Magomedsharipov's toughest test so far.

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Tom Aspinall attacked by top heavyweight in X-rated rant amidst long hiatus

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Tom Aspinall attacked by top heavyweight in X-rated rant amidst long hiatus

A top UFC heavyweight believes it's time for Tom Aspinall to put up or shut up when it comes to his long hiatus from competition.

Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains sidelined after undergoing multiple eye surgeries stemming from his no contest at UFC 321 last year. Just minutes into his title defense against Ciryl Gane, Aspinall was unable to continue competing after getting hit with several accidental eye pokes.

Despite initial optimism that Aspinall could return to the Octagon in September, the undisputed heavyweight champion still hasn't been medically cleared to fight. UFC CEO Dana White hinted that the matchmakers are preparing to ‘move on' from Aspinall's title reign if he remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.

After Gane won the interim heavyweight title earlier this year, a timeline for a potential Aspinall vs. Gane rematch remains uncertain. In the meantime, a top heavyweight contender is becoming increasingly frustrated with Aspinall's postponed comeback.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta scorches ‘p—-‘ Tom Aspinall over long UFC absence

During his Noche UFC pre-fight press conference, Waldo Cortes-Acosta was asked about whether or not the UFC should strip Aspinall of his heavyweight title.

“Yeah, it's a lot of frustration to see the champion be like this,†Cortes-Acosta said of Aspinall.

“He knows that he needs to come back and fight with Ciryl Gane. I think he's got a p—-, and I think he'll have a long time to heal and come back to fight for the title, but this is not the champion. For me, this is not the champion.

“The champion is someone who has a problem, fixes it, and tries to come back, fights and is a warrior, not a p—-. I don't know where he is, trying to hide because he doesn't want to fight Ciryl Gane.†(h/t Bloody Elbow)

Cortes-Acosta isn't the only star fighter who is impatient with Aspinall and his team. Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo called for Aspinall to relinquish his heavyweight title to allow the division to move on.

Should the UFC strip Tom Aspinall of his title? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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