Alexander Volkanovski says Movsar Evloev’s boos at the press conference “got in his head” as UFC 333 title defense looms

Alexander Volkanovski said he sympathized with Movsar Evloev after boos aimed at the Russian fighter at their September press event, adding that the reaction “got in his head.” The Australian champion is scheduled to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title against Evloev at UFC 333 on Oct. 24, and he indicated that the buildup to the fight has already carried emotion for both men.

Volkanovski’s comments, reported this week by Yahoo Sports, suggest he was affected by the noise and atmosphere surrounding the matchup rather than viewing it as a one-sided advantage. While champions are expected to treat hostility as background noise, the featherweight title picture has increasingly leaned on high-stakes public moments, where crowd sentiment can become part of the psychological landscape.

Evloev entered that September news cycle as the challenger, and the press-conference boos became a storyline before the Oct. 24 matchup even begins. Volkanovski said he felt bad for Evloev in that moment, then described how the boos carried into his own thinking. In practical terms, that means the champion’s mental preparation is not only shaped by sparring, tape, and strategy, but also by the reactions that precede a title fight.

The UFC featherweight belt is often treated as a championship “test” of pace, discipline, and decision-making, rather than a pure exercise in explosiveness. With Volkanovski holding the title going into UFC 333, his stated sensitivity to the environment hints at a wider theme in MMA title defenses: the champion’s job is to stay stable under pressure while the challenger seeks traction through momentum.

There are limits to what can be read from Volkanovski’s remarks. A single anecdote about a press conference does not tell the full story of who has the edge in training camp, game planning, or fight-night execution. Still, Volkanovski’s acknowledgement matters because it shows the champion is paying attention to the atmosphere and how it can ripple through a rivalry long before the cage door opens.

For fans, the next turn in this story is straightforward. UFC 333 is still weeks away, but the mental tone has already been set: the challenger arrived with crowd negativity as a backdrop, and the champion is admitting he noticed. Whether that translates into a calmer, more controlled Volkanovski on fight night, or a more focused response from Evloev, will be something to watch once UFC cameras start tracking reactions inside the arena.

If Volkanovski’s “got in my head” framing continues, it could also affect how the fight unfolds in the early minutes. Title fights often reward fighters who manage the first exchange, keep composure during shifting momentum, and prevent outside noise from becoming a distraction. UFC 333 will test that, with the featherweight belt on the line on Oct. 24 and both fighters’ public narrative colliding with the realities of a championship bout.