The 35-and-Over Curse Meets an Unbeaten Challenger: Can Volkanovski Beat the Numbers Again?
Alexander Volkanovski is already up there by beating one of the hardest stats in UFC. Before UFC 314 in April 2025, no male fighter aged 35+ had won a UFC championship bout. This covered the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions. Volkanovski broke this when he reclaimed the featherweight title at 36, defeating Diego Lopes.
Now 38, the Australian faces another test of his longevity. Undefeated Russian Movsar Evloev challenges him at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October 2026, bringing a 20-0 professional record and a wrestling-heavy approach. Volkanovski has successfully defended his regained title once, but Evloev presents a very different challenge from Lopes.
Where Did the 35-and-Over Curse Come From?
The statistics cover four UFC divisions. These are flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight. Before Volkanovski’s win at UFC 314, fighters aged 35 or older had lost all 16 bouts they had been in.
The record was interesting because several former champions contributed to it. These weren’t inexperienced fighters struggling with championship pressure, but established names who had previously succeeded against elite opposition.
The Champions Who Couldn’t Escape the Statistic
Several well-known, established fighters tried to win championship bouts after turning 35. Their defeats helped establish that age matters in the UFC’s lighter weight classes.
Former Champions Who Fell Short
Dominick Cruz was 35 when Henry Cejudo stopped him at UFC 249 in May 2020. Cruz had previously established himself as one of bantamweight’s most accomplished champions, but his experience couldn’t prevent a second-round stoppage.
TJ Dillashaw was 36 when Aljamain Sterling defeated him at UFC 280 in October 2022. Henry Cejudo, then 36, lost to Sterling at UFC 288 after returning from retirement.
At featherweight, Frankie Edgar lost his title challenge against Max Holloway at 37. Chan Sung Jung, better known as the Korean Zombie, was 35 when Volkanovski stopped him at UFC 273 in April 2022.
Volkanovski himself contributed to the losing record. At 35, he suffered knockout defeats against Islam Makhachev at lightweight and Ilia Topuria at featherweight, raising questions about whether his championship years were ending.
How Volkanovski Broke the Curse
When he entered UFC 314, Volkanovski had lost two consecutive knockout fights. His loss to Topuris ended his first featherweight championship reign, while an earlier loss to Makhachev came during a short-notice title challenge.
Diego Lopes was certainly a dangerous opponent for his return. The Brazilian had won five consecutive fights and shown he could punish defensive mistakes, particularly against someone recovering from two knockout losses.
Volkanovski still produced a disciplined performance, using movement, accurate striking and tactical adjustments to control much of the contest. Lopes knocked him down late in the second round and threatened again in the fourth with a powerful uppercut that hurt the Australian.
Volkanovski recovered, using his jab and movement to regain control and secure a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, making him featherweight champion for the second time.
Who Has Beaten the Statistic Since?
At UFC 325 on 31 January 2026, Volkanovski defended his featherweight title against Lopes in Sydney. This time, the result was more convincing, with the judges awarding him a unanimous decision: 49-46, 49-46, and 50-45.
That made Volkanovski the first older fighter to win two consecutive championship titles across the four divisions covered by the statistic. His achievements show that age isn’t a complete barrier to UFC success.
What Changes First for Older Fighters?
The physical demands of the lighter divisions help explain why championship success becomes difficult with age. Fighters generally operate at a high pace, combining rapid exchanges with frequent changes of direction, defensive reactions, and wrestling transitions.
Three areas that really have an impact are:
- Reaction speed: Even small delays in recognizing punches or takedown attempts can leave openings that younger opponents exploit.
- Recovery: Repeated exchanges, grappling sequences and demanding training sessions can become harder to recover from as fighters age.
- Movement and endurance: Maintaining footwork, defensive positioning and sustained activity across five rounds can become increasingly difficult.
These changes aren’t identical for every athlete, and there isn’t a universal age at which performance suddenly declines. Experience, conditioning, and tactical awareness can compensate for some physical disadvantages.
Why Movsar Evloev Is a Different Challenge
Evloev enters UFC 333 with a perfect 20-0 professional record. He last won against Lerone Murphy in March 2026, earning a majority decision after five rounds. He has also defeated Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes.
Wrestling Against Experience
Evloev’s approach combines persistent grappling pressure with controlled striking. Rather than relying on one decisive punch, he works to win exchanges, secure takedowns, and force opponents into demanding defensive sequences.
That creates an interesting test for Volkanovski. The champion has extensive experience defending takedowns and facing high-level grapplers, but resisting wrestling attempts repeatedly can become exhausting over five rounds.
Evloev’s unbeaten record also deserves context. He has won all ten of his UFC appearances by decision, showing real consistency against increasingly accomplished opponents without relying on frequent stoppages. For anyone examining UFC betting, predicting an outcome here will be far from easy.
Can Volkanovski Beat the Numbers Again?
Volkanovski has already shown that an older fighter can defeat elite featherweight opposition, while Evloev’s unbeaten record reflects years of success against established contenders.
The most revealing questions are more about whether Volkanovski can maintain his movement, defend repeated takedown attempts, and continue making effective adjustments over five rounds. Evloev needs to demonstrate that his wrestling can overcome a champion who has repeatedly frustrated opponents with different fighting styles.
Volkanovski’s experience gives him a credible route to victory, but Evloev’s pressure presents a serious test at 38. The original curse has already been broken; what remains uncertain is how long the Australian can continue defying the pattern.
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