Alexander Volkanovski is not done yet. The 38-year-old featherweight champion dropped previously unbeaten Movsar Evloev with a left hook and a right hand and then finished him on the ground at 4:54 of the second round in the UFC 333 main event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

It was his second title defense this year and his first stoppage win since July 2023. Volkanovski is now 29-4. Evloev, 32, took his first loss and fell to 20-1.

Volkanovski had said before the fight that he might retire if he took too much damage. After the win he sounded like a man who wants to keep going. "I choose to do this," he said. "I said if I didn't take too much damage we'd probably keep going. So, maybe we'll keep going."

Evloev gives credit

Evloev arrived as one of the most accomplished challengers the division has seen. He was 10-0 in the UFC with wins over former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Diego Lopes.

He won some early exchanges with takedowns and clinch work but could not keep the champion down. Volkanovski was busier in the second round and outlanded him 45 to 37 in total strikes before the finish.

"He's truly a legend," Evloev said of the champion, adding that he was glad to share the cage with him.

Volkanovski has floated a farewell lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje, who won the 155-pound belt at 37 in June.

Yan closes the book on Merab

In the co-main event Petr Yan kept his bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili in the third fight of their rivalry. All three judges scored it 48-47.

Dvalishvili took the first two rounds on every card. He landed five takedowns in those 10 minutes while Yan spent most of his energy defending.

The fight turned in the third round when Yan hurt Dvalishvili with a body kick. From there Yan kept the fight on the feet and stopped all 39 of his opponent's takedown attempts over the final three rounds. He won each of the last three rounds on all three scorecards.

"I usually take a long time to warm up in a fight," Yan said through an interpreter. "I knew that he was going to gas forward and eventually he was going to gas out."

Dvalishvili won the first meeting in 2023. Yan won the rematch last December. Yan is now 21-5 and Dvalishvili is 21-6.

Kavanagh makes his case

Earlier on the main card, England's Lone'er Kavanagh stopped Ramazan Temirov with a left uppercut and a flurry of punches late in the first round. Kavanagh, the No. 6 flyweight, said afterward that he is "here for that belt."