Ilia Topuria’s recent departure from the UFC featherweight division—followed by Alexander Volkanovski’s win over Diego Lopes in the battle for the belt vacated by the former champion—has breathed new life into the 145-pound division.
In the wake of Topuria’s decision to move up to 155 pounds, the top contenders in the featherweight ranks are all eyeing the next shot at Volkanovski’s title. Among them, unbeaten Russian star Movsar Evloev sees himself at the front of the line.
Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), currently tied for fourth in the division with Yair Rodriguez, is adamant that he should be the next fighter to face Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC). He has been vocal about how he believes he can defeat the Australian if granted a title shot by the UFC.
"I think if I fight him, I will just push him to the wall", Evloev told former UFC fighter and current BKFC star Mike Perry during an appearance on The Overdogs Podcast. "Don't let him run from me, don't let him move. And then he (has) to exchange with me, so then he will tire or I'll break him.
"Because I think I am...I know that I have bigger power and better wrestling and I can control this guy (for) five rounds or finish (him) on the ground".
Evloev, who trains out of American Top Team in Florida, has racked up nine straight victories since signing with the UFC in 2019, including wins over ranked opponents such as Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling.
However, the Russian has faced criticism in some circles for his lack of finishes inside the Octagon. All nine of his UFC wins have come by decision, and there’s a growing sentiment that this could be a factor holding him back from being seen as a truly deserving title contender in such a talent-rich division.
