Alexander Volkanovski Tips Movsar Evloev as ‘Next’ After Gritty UFC London Win
Alexander Volkanovski has welcomed Movsar Evloev as the likely next challenger for his UFC featherweight title after the Russian extended his unbeaten run with a majority decision win over Lerone Murphy at UFC London. Volkanovski praised Evloev’s display and record while making clear that this is now the matchup he wants for his own legacy.
Alexander Volkanovski Impressed: Undefeated Movsar Evloev ‘Has to Be Next’ for UFC Featherweight Gold
Movsar Evloev defeated Lerone Murphy via majority decision in the main event at London’s O2 Arena in a high‑stakes featherweight bout viewed as a title eliminator. The judges scored the fight 48-46, 48-46 and 47-47 for Evloev, with a point deduction against him in the fourth round for a second low blow adding to the tension on the scorecards.
Murphy suffered the first loss of his professional career and left London with a 17-1-1 record, while Evloev moved to 20-0 overall and 10-0 in the UFC. Despite the setback, Murphy told fans and matchmakers in his post-fight comments that Evloev “deserves” the next title shot, reinforcing the perception of the bout as a de facto eliminator.
Speaking on the UFC on Paramount+ post‑fight show, Alexander Volkanovski admitted he did not expect Evloev to lean so heavily on striking against Murphy. Volkanovski noted that Evloev “was a lot stronger when he wanted to take it down,” but still managed to outperform Murphy on the feet over five rounds, calling the performance “quite impressive” before adding, “He’s 20-0 now, and I guess he’s next.”
In a separate interview, Volkanovski expanded on that assessment, suggesting Evloev chose to stand more to prove a point rather than to lean on his wrestling. The champion said he wants Evloev to “try everything possible” when they meet, insisting he will shut down takedown attempts with his defense and force prolonged exchanges on the feet.
Volkanovski has been open for some time about his interest in defending his title against Evloev, previously predicting on his YouTube channel that the Russian would beat Murphy and stating a preference for that matchup because of the stylistic challenge. His interest dates back at least to 2024, when an earlier attempt to book the fight fell through and Evloev accepted a different bout instead, delaying a potential title shot.
The champion, who reclaimed and then defended his belt with a dominant unanimous decision over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 and again at UFC 325, has framed Evloev as the contender who “deserves it the most” after a long climb through the rankings. Volkanovski has even framed facing an undefeated 20-0 challenger as one of the few contests that carries a distinct legacy benefit at this stage of his career.
Evloev used his post‑fight platform at UFC London to call for a title bout “before he ages too much,” joking that the promotion should hurry the pairing with the 37‑year‑old champion, who turns 38 in September. Volkanovski responded by embracing the idea of defending again soon and indicated he is targeting a return in mid‑to‑late summer, while Evloev mentioned May as an ideal window.
