Movsar Evloev picked Alexander Volkanovski over Jose Aldo as the greatest featherweight ever, then explained why in a way that will not go down well.
Evloev challenges Volkanovski for the title in the UFC 333 main event on October 24 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He is 20-0 overall and 10-0 in the UFC. He told MMA Junkie that Volkanovski is the more complete fighter, and that he reads Aldo’s peak differently.
I think Volk is better than Aldo just because he’s a more complete fighter. Aldo was great until they did doping tests, then he goes down. Everyone knows that. I think only Jon Jones stayed on the same level after doping tests. Everybody else go down like (Anderson) Silva, (Anthony) Pettis. Pettis was great before they started testing. Yeah, they are talented but looks like the stuff they used helped them before, like Vitor Belfort. I respect all these fighters, but we know the story, right?
The testing record does not line up neatly behind that. The UFC brought USADA in during July 2015. Aldo has never failed a drug test and was one of the most tested fighters in the program, second only to Jones by sample count. Jones, the man Evloev holds up as unaffected, tested positive on several occasions after 2015 and served suspensions. Anderson Silva failed a Nevada test in January 2015, and Belfort competed in the era when testosterone replacement exemptions were still allowed, which commissions banned in 2014.
Evloev has his own clock to think about. He is 32 and says the cut is getting harder.
I’m getting bigger every day, so one day, I don’t know how long it will take, but one day I need to move up. Because now I need to cut about 26 pounds to be featherweight.
Volkanovski’s case is on the record either way. He owns a win over Aldo and two title wins over Max Holloway, defended the belt five times in his first reign, took it back from Diego Lopes at UFC 314 and beat Lopes again at UFC 325. Aldo still holds the division record with seven title defenses.
