Israel Adesanya watched an old friend do something most people his age don’t, and he came away motivated. NDTV Sports reported that Adesanya found new inspiration in Alexander Volkanovski’s title defense against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333, a fight Volkanovski ended in the second round on October 24 to keep the featherweight belt.
The two go back a long way. Adesanya moved to Auckland at 21 and started training MMA under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing, where Volkanovski, Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France were part of the same room. That was more than a decade before either of them had a UFC belt. Both went on to win one twice.
Volkanovski is now 29-4 and still the champion. He became the oldest man to win the UFC featherweight title at 36, and with the Evloev finish he became the oldest to defend it, at 38. ACD MMA’s post on X captured the general mood: “38 YEAR OLD ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI STILL GETTING W’S IN THE ALMIGHTY 2026.” After the event he posed for a photo with Petr Yan, who also won on the card.
View post on X
Volkanovski also floated an exit plan. According to a clip shared by Championship Rounds, he said he’d like to move up and face Justin Gaethje as his retirement fight. “That’s something I’d retire for,” he said. “If they want to give me that opportunity, win or lose I’d retire.”
View post on X
For Adesanya, the timing makes sense. He’s 37, sits at No. 12 in Knockout Daily’s middleweight rankings with a 24-6 record, and hasn’t fought since March 28. His next assignment is a hard one: Sharabutdin Magomedov at UFC Fight Night 296 in Riyadh on December 5. A veteran former champion trying to stay relevant against a younger, dangerous striker could use a reminder of what preparation and patience can still produce late in a career, and he got one from a guy he’s shared mats with since his early 20s.
Volkanovski showed that age by itself doesn’t settle anything at the top of the sport. Adesanya gets his chance to make the same point in Riyadh on December 5.
View post on X
