Movsar Evloev, who defeated Brazilian-born Mexican Diego Lopes , enters the octagon at the T-Mobile Arena this Saturday (7), in Las Vegas (USA), in a fight on the preliminary card of UFC 310 against Aljamain Sterling , in the featherweight category (up to 65,7kg). Despite not having received much hype, the Russian has never been defeated, both outside and inside the organization, since he started in 2019. He has 18 wins that have placed him fifth in the category ranking.
With a record like that , Evloev believes he deserves a chance to fight for the belt that Ilia Topuria won by defeating Alexander Volkanovski in February of this year at UFC 298. In fact, the Russian thinks that a rematch between 'El Matador' and the Australian fighter is not a good idea. That's what he said during a press conference at Media Day, this Wednesday (4). He even took a swipe at Max Holloway , who was defeated by Topuria in a title fight at UFC 308.
See too
“I don’t think it’s a good idea [for Topuria] to fight Volkanovski again. Volkanovski is a legend, but he’s finished, and so is Max Holloway . They were good fighters for a long time, but time has passed. New blood is here, so let me prove I’m the champion,” he stated.
Topuria's title fight victories have come against two of the best featherweights of all time who have become perennial fan favorites with their spectacular performances. Despite being undefeated, Evloev has yet to inspire the same kind of fervor in the MMA community, perhaps because he has won all eight of his UFC fights by decision.
“Everybody talking about finishing, finishing. Okay, if you need to finish, try to finish me. So, I think for this fight, I’m going to do something. We’ve been preparing for this for almost a year since I won my fight in January and this guy is a good opponent to do what I’m trying to do,” he revealed.
As much as he feels he deserves a title shot, Evloev prioritizes staying active above all else. If the Russian has to fight again before facing Topuria, he'll be happy to do so.
“I’ve been waiting for this fight for almost a year. So, if they don’t let me fight for the title, please give me someone in two months after this fight. I’m already 30 years old, so I need to fight frequently, because in the last two years I haven’t fought frequently, so I need more fights. My time is running out, so it’s good for my career. Diego Lopes , Volkanovski, Holloway, anyone before they let me fight for the title,” he concluded.
UFC 310 coverage is sponsored by BK8
Bigger and More Reliable, BK8 is the official sponsor of UFC 310 coverage . Official partner of Premier League clubs like Burnley and Aston Villa. BK8 is a sports betting platform that offers a welcome bonus of 100% up to R$500 and a risk-free first bet.
Visit the website , check the terms and conditions, make your first deposit using PIX , and take advantage of the risk-free betting promotion.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
You need to log in to comment.