In less than three weeks, Alexander Volkanovski will put his featherweight title on the line against Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333. The co-main event will feature another familiar rivalry, with Petr Yan taking on Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title trilogy.
Yan reclaimed the 135-pound title last year at UFC 323, dethroning Dvalishvili in their rematch. While Yan recently made it clear that he wants to face Sean O’Malley next following the Abu Dhabi event, the Russian has also opened up about a much bigger goal down the line: becoming a two-division UFC champion.
Petr Yan Doesn’t Want to Fight Alexander Volkanovski for the Featherweight Title Due to Their Friendship
During a recent interview with Full Violence, Yan was asked whether he would be interested in chasing a second UFC world title. The reigning bantamweight champion admitted that moving up a division interests him, although he has no plans to drop down to flyweight and challenge Joshua Van.
There is one major problem with the featherweight idea, though. Yan does not want to fight Volkanovski for the belt. The Russian described Volkanovski as a close friend and made it clear that he has no desire to take the title from him.
He said, “You know, if someone is gonna move up and challenge me, it’s maybe a question for them, not for me. But, personally, for myself, moving up, it sounds interesting too. Somewhere in the future, yeah.”
Yan then explained why a fight with Volkanovski is not something he wants to pursue. The Russian added, “145 champ is my friend Alex Volkanovski, so I don’t want to beat him up.”
Petr Yan would rather move up to 145 than fight Joshua Van moving up to 135, but refuses to fight friend Alexander Volkanovski
“You know, if someone’s gonna move up and challenge me, it’s maybe a question for them… But personally, moving up sounds interesting too… Yeah, just 145 champ is my friend Alex Volkanovski, so I don’t wanna beat him up.”
Via: @Full_Violence
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 7, 2026
Volkanovski recently hinted that his UFC 333 fight against Evloev could have major implications for his future. The Australian admitted that if he takes significant damage in the fight, retirement could become a possibility.
Yan and Volkanovski’s friendship goes beyond simply being fellow UFC champions. The two trained together at Tiger Muay Thai around the time of the UFC 333 press conference, giving fans a glimpse of their relationship outside the Octagon.
With that friendship in mind, a Yan vs. Volkanovski title fight appears unlikely, even if Yan eventually decides to make the move to featherweight.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
