Alexander Volkanovski Tips Movsar Evloev as ‘Next’ After Gritty UFC London Win

Following Movsar Evloev's hard-fought majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy at UFC London, Alexander Volkanovski has welcomed the undefeated Russian as the most probable next contender for his UFC featherweight championship. Volkanovski lauded Evloev's performance and unblemished record, making it clear that this is the matchup he now desires for its significance to his own legacy.

Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision win against Lerone Murphy in the main event at London’s O2 Arena. This high-stakes featherweight clash was widely considered a title eliminator. The judges scored the bout 48-46, 48-46, and 47-47 in favor of Evloev, who overcame a point deduction in the fourth round for a second low blow, adding tension to the scorecards.

The defeat marked the first professional loss for Murphy, moving his record to 17-1-1. Conversely, Evloev advanced his impressive professional record to 20-0 overall, with a perfect 10-0 streak in the UFC. Despite his setback, Murphy himself publicly endorsed Evloev for the next title shot in his post-fight comments, further solidifying the perception of the bout as a de facto eliminator.

Speaking after the event, Alexander Volkanovski admitted he hadn't anticipated Evloev would rely so heavily on striking against Murphy. Volkanovski observed that Evloev "was a lot stronger when he wanted to take it down," yet still managed to out-perform Murphy on the feet across five rounds. He described the performance as "quite impressive," before concluding, "He’s 20-0 now, and I guess he’s next."

In a subsequent interview, Volkanovski expanded on his analysis, suggesting that Evloev might have chosen to stand and strike more to make a statement rather than primarily leaning on his wrestling. The reigning champion expressed his desire for Evloev to "try everything possible" when they meet, asserting his confidence in shutting down takedown attempts with his defense and forcing prolonged standing exchanges.

Volkanovski has openly expressed his interest in defending his title against Evloev for some time. He previously predicted Evloev would defeat Murphy on his YouTube channel and stated a preference for this matchup due to the stylistic challenge it presents. His interest dates back at least a couple of years, when an earlier attempt to book the fight fell through, delaying a potential title opportunity for Evloev.

The champion, who has successfully defended his belt in recent outings, has framed Evloev as the contender who "deserves it the most" after a consistent climb through the rankings. Volkanovski has even highlighted facing an undefeated 20-0 challenger as one of the few contests that offers a distinct legacy benefit at this advanced stage of his career.

Utilizing his post-fight platform at UFC London, Evloev called for a title bout "before he ages too much," playfully suggesting the promotion should expedite the pairing with the 37-year-old champion, who will turn 38 in September. Volkanovski responded positively to the idea of defending his title again soon, indicating he is targeting a return in mid-to-late summer, while Evloev optimistically suggested May as an ideal window.