Alexander Volkanovski has officially recorded the most title-fight wins in UFC featherweight history after scoring his ninth against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 last weekend in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The 38-year-old Australian has had one of the most legendary careers we've ever seen - and he isn't done yet. For now, let's rank all nine of his championship victories from worst to best.
9. Max Holloway, UFC 251
Date: July 11, 2020
Outcome: Split-decision win
This was by far the worst winning effort of Volkanovski's two title runs. Holloway got off to a terrific start, winning the first two rounds on all three judges' scorecards. It seemed he was en route to winning the belt back after losing to Volkanovski seven months prior, but Volkanovski edged out the last three rounds (on two of three judges' scorecards) to beat Holloway by the slimmest of margins. However, 18 of 27 media members scored the fight for Holloway on MMADecisions.com - and six years later, the rightful winner is still debated. It was as close to a loss as Volkanovski had come until this point.
8. Diego Lopes, UFC 314
Date: April 12, 2025
Outcome: Unanimous decision win
Volkanovski entered this fight coming off back-to-back knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Fans weren't sure if he had anything left in the tank, but against the younger Lopes, Volkanovski proved that Father Time hadn't caught up to him yet. Volkanovski picked apart Lopes to reclaim the featherweight title, joining Jose Aldo as the only two fighters to win the 145-pound belt twice. But it wasn't a perfect performance. Lopes scored a knockdown in the second round and hurt Volkanovski again in the fourth. Although Volkanovski demonstrated resilience by making it to the final bell, the outcome could've been much different.
7. Max Holloway, UFC 245
Date: Dec. 14, 2019
Outcome: Unanimous decision win
This is where it all started for Volkanovski. Holloway had been the champion for two-and-a-half years. He'd defended the title three times and won 13 in a row in the featherweight division. But Volkanovski showed that Holloway wasn't unbeatable, picking him apart over the course of five rounds to win his first UFC title.
6. Diego Lopes, UFC 325
Date: Jan. 31, 2026
Outcome: Unanimous decision win
Volkanovski delivered a better performance in his rematch with Lopes nine months after the first fight. He outworked the challenger throughout much of the bout, once again proving to be more technically sound in the striking department. Volkanovski did suffer a flash knockdown in the third round, but overall, he cruised past Lopes, making the UFC look a bit silly for giving Lopes another title shot so soon after the first one.
5. Chan Sung Jung, UFC 273
Date: April 9, 2022
Outcome: Fourth-round TKO win
This was one of Volkanovski's most dominant performances, but it's fifth on the list because Jung, better known as "The Korean Zombie," probably shouldn't have been in there with him. Jung was well past his prime at this point, and it was evident in the fight. Volkanovski dished out a ton of punishment in the first three rounds. He said in his postfight interview that he "started feeling bad in there" - that's how lopsided the fight was. Referee Herb Dean finally intervened in the fourth round.
4. Brian Ortega, UFC 266
Date: Sept. 25, 2021
Outcome: Unanimous decision win
This Fight of the Year candidate remains the most thrilling matchup Volkanovski's had in the UFC. He showed an immense amount of heart by fending off a tight submission in the third round and then punishing Ortega in the championship rounds to seal the win. It was far from the cleanest, prettiest performance of Volkanovski's career, but it's one of the most memorable.
3. Yair Rodriguez, UFC 290
Date: July 8, 2023
Outcome: Third-round TKO win
Fresh off his first UFC loss against Makhachev, Volkanovski had a point to prove in his return to featherweight against then-interim champion Rodriguez. And boy, did he prove it. Volkanovski used his wrestling to dominate Rodriguez, eventually finishing him with devastating ground-and-pound in the third round. It was a fantastic all-around performance that reminded everyone Volkanovski was still the best 145-pound fighter on the planet.
2. Movsar Evloev, UFC 333
Date: Oct. 24, 2026
Outcome: Second-round TKO win
The newest addition to the list is also one of Volkanovski's greatest performances. At age 38, Volkanovski wasn't necessarily supposed to beat Evloev, who was in the prime of his career at 32 years old and undefeated at 20-0. On paper, the division's longtime No. 1 contender was supposed to be a tough matchup. But in the end, Volkanovski made it look easy. He gave up a few takedowns early in the fight before rocking Evloev on the feet and scoring a dramatic ground-and-pound finish with 6 seconds left in the second round. Given where Volkanovski and Evloev were in their careers, it was one of the most impressive victories in recent memory.
1. Max Holloway, UFC 276
Date: July 2, 2022
Outcome: Unanimous decision win
Volkanovski's third and final win over Holloway was a masterpiece. Two years after eking out a controversial decision in their rematch, Volkanovski closed out the trilogy in dominant fashion. He relied on his speed and accuracy to batter Holloway on the feet in all five rounds, blanking the former champion on the scorecards. In hindsight, this was the victory that made fans realize we were witnessing an all-time great; Volkanovski officially became the UFC's pound-for-pound king a month later. It'll take something heroic for "The Great" to top this performance.
