Alexander Volkanovski has welcomed Movsar Evloev because the doubtless subsequent challenger for his UFC featherweight title after the Russian prolonged his unbeaten run with a majority choice win over Lerone Murphy at UFC London. Volkanovski praised Evloev’s show and report whereas making clear that that is now the matchup he desires for his personal legacy.
Alexander Volkanovski Impressed: Undefeated Movsar Evloev ‘Has to Be Subsequent’ for UFC Featherweight Gold
Movsar Evloev defeated Lerone Murphy through majority choice in the primary occasion at London’s O2 Area in a excessive‑stakes featherweight bout seen as a title eliminator. The judges scored the struggle 48-46, 48-46 and 47-47 for Evloev, with a degree deduction in opposition to him within the fourth spherical for a second low blow including to the strain on the scorecards.
Murphy suffered the primary lack of his skilled profession and left London with a 17-1-1 report, whereas Evloev moved to 20-0 total and 10-0 within the UFC. Regardless of the setback, Murphy advised followers and matchmakers in his post-fight feedback that Evloev “deserves” the following title shot, reinforcing the notion of the bout as a de facto eliminator.
Talking on the UFC on Paramount+ submit‑struggle present, Alexander Volkanovski admitted he didn’t anticipate Evloev to lean so closely on hanging in opposition to Murphy. Volkanovski famous that Evloev “was rather a lot stronger when he wished to take it down,” however nonetheless managed to outperform Murphy on the ft over 5 rounds, calling the efficiency “fairly spectacular” earlier than including, “He’s 20-0 now, and I assume he’s subsequent.”
In a separate interview, Volkanovski expanded on that evaluation, suggesting Evloev selected to face extra to show a degree quite than to lean on his wrestling. The champion mentioned he desires Evloev to “attempt all the pieces doable” after they meet, insisting he’ll shut down takedown makes an attempt along with his protection and drive extended exchanges on the ft.
Volkanovski has been open for a while about his curiosity in defending his title in opposition to Evloev, beforehand predicting on his YouTube channel that the Russian would beat Murphy and stating a choice for that matchup due to the stylistic problem. His curiosity dates again no less than to 2024, when an earlier try to e book the struggle fell by and Evloev accepted a special bout as a substitute, delaying a possible title shot.
The champion, who reclaimed after which defended his belt with a dominant unanimous choice over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 and once more at UFC 325, has framed Evloev because the contender who “deserves it essentially the most” after a protracted climb by the rankings. Volkanovski has even framed dealing with an undefeated 20-0 challenger as one of many few contests that carries a definite legacy profit at this stage of his profession.
Evloev used his submit‑struggle platform at UFC London to name for a title bout “earlier than he ages an excessive amount of,” joking that the promotion ought to hurry the pairing with the 37‑12 months‑outdated champion, who turns 38 in September. Volkanovski responded by embracing the thought of defending once more quickly and indicated he’s focusing on a return in mid‑to‑late summer time, whereas Evloev talked about Might as a super window.
