Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy at UFC London this Saturday, held at the O2 Arena.
In the initial rounds, both fighters kept the action on their feet, with Murphy landing clean strikes and looking to maintain his early momentum.
However, as the fight progressed into the later rounds, Movsar Evloev intensified his pressure, effectively blending wrestling and grappling. He successfully executed takedowns and maintained dominant top control, ultimately outworking Murphy.
This win marked the undefeated Russian fighter’s 20th career victory, making him a prime candidate for a title shot. “UFC, there is no excuse not to let me fight for the title. I have nothing more to say,” Movsar Evloev declared in his Octagon interview.
Evloev jokingly remarked that champion Alexander Volkanovski has been waiting for him for a long time and is “getting old.” The fighter expressed readiness for a quick return in May to face the Australian champion as soon as possible.
Responding to the challenge, Volkanovski humorously accepted, stating, “This old man still has some tricks left. Bring it on!” While UFC CEO Dana White has yet to confirm the fight, a decision is expected soon.
Defeating Movsar Evloev Could Be Significant Redemption for Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski is widely regarded as the featherweight GOAT in the UFC, having overcome numerous top contenders. However, he twice failed in his bid to move up and claim a second championship title against Islam Makhachev.
The first bout was closely contested, with Volkanovski successfully defending against the Dagestani’s wrestling, but he was knocked out in their second encounter. The champion believes that a victory over Movsar Evloev (a Russian fighter) would be a valuable addition to his legacy, especially given his previous losses to Russian opponents.
“Dagestani and Chechen wrestling have been so effective. A lot of fighters don’t know how to deal with it. You’ve seen my fight with Islam, I could deal with that. I would love to get [Evloev] and take out this style,” Alexander Volkanovski stated on his YouTube channel.
Volkanovski was impressed by Evloev’s performance against Lerone Murphy and welcomed the prospect of fighting an undefeated challenger. It remains to be seen whether this new contender can disrupt Volkanovski’s impressive winning streak within the featherweight division.