Movsar Evloev exposes dropped title shot plan after Alexander Volkanovski victory, now faces Lerone Murphy at UFC London showdown

Movsar Evloev did everything right, but still got left out. The unbeaten featherweight has now shared how close he was to a title shot before things suddenly changed. And the reason, he says, was Alexander Volkanovski’s win that flipped the whole plan. Speaking before UFC London, Evloev said he was already told to be ready for a title opportunity. But once Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes, the UFC went in a different direction. Instead of giving Evloev the shot, Dana White booked a rematch between Volkanovski and Lopes. That decision surprised many fans and fighters.

Evloev told reporters, “Yeah, I was kinda surprised when they didn’t let me in. Before they told me like be ready [to face off]. Maybe they expected Lopes to win, and that’s why they tell me to be ready. And Volk wins, and they changed their mind.” Now, with two straight wins over Lopes, Volkanovski is still champion, and Evloev is still waiting. But things could finally change this weekend.

Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy clash at UFC London as title shot debate grows with Jean Silva entering picture

Now the focus shifts to UFC London. Movsar Evloev will face Lerone Murphy in the main event, and this fight could decide who gets the next title shot. Both fighters are undefeated, and both believe they deserve the chance. Evloev has not lost a single fight in his career and last fought in December 2024, where he beat Aljamain Sterling. On the other side, Lerone Murphy is also unbeaten and is coming off a strong first-round knockout win over Aaron Pico in August.

Murphy made his stance very clear. He said, “Well, who knows? [Silva’s] 1-1 in his last two. The winner of me and Mosvar fights for the title, and it shouldn’t be any other way.”

His comment was aimed at Jean Silva, who recently made bold claims on social media. Silva said, “We have a trip invited by Hunter Campbell and Dana White to watch Evloev and Lerone’s fight up close, really close, and sign the belt contract. Let’s go. Listen, brother, it’s going to be the biggest promotion the guys have ever seen in history when I sign this belt contract.”

That statement created a lot of noise. But many feel Silva’s recent record does not support his claim. He is 1-1 in his last two fights and even suffered a knockout loss to Diego Lopes. In comparison, both Evloev and Murphy have clean records.

So now, everything comes down to this fight in London. If Evloev wins clearly, he could remove all doubts and finally get his shot. But if Murphy wins, the story changes again. For now, the division feels a bit unclear. Plans have already changed once, and they could change again. But one thing is certain, this fight will play a big role in deciding who faces Alexander Volkanovski next.




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