Movsar Evloev, with an unblemished record, is confident that a fight for the UFC featherweight championship will not result in his first loss.
The next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski`s title is still undetermined. Volkanovski recently regained the belt with a dominant win over Diego Lopes at UFC 314, becoming a two-time champion after Ilia Topuria vacated the title to move to the lightweight division.
Evloev boasts a 9-0 record in the UFC and has a strong argument for a title shot. If he faces Volkanovski, he believes he will become only the second fighter to defeat the Australian at featherweight.
“If I fight him, my strategy will be to pressure him and not let him escape,” Evloev stated on the Overdogs Podcast. “I won’t allow him to move away from me. He’ll have to engage in striking exchanges, which will tire him out. Or I will defeat him because I am stronger, a better wrestler, and I can control him for all five rounds or finish him on the ground.”
A potential hurdle for Evloev is a perceived lack of interest from UFC matchmakers. Despite impressive UFC victories over Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes, Evloev hasn`t finished an opponent since joining the promotion in 2019.
Evloev intended to showcase a more striking-oriented approach in his UFC 310 fight against Sterling. However, Sterling`s wrestling focus led to a grappling-heavy contest and an Evloev victory that might not be enough to secure an immediate title opportunity.
“In the last fight against Aljamain [Sterling], I focused almost entirely on striking because the UFC kept mentioning my lack of finishes and `wrestling style`. I wanted to demonstrate my striking skills,” Evloev explained. “But in that fight, I couldn`t fully display my striking because my opponent kept taking me down and engaging in jiu-jitsu. It`s difficult to showcase striking when you`re constantly grappling on the ground.”
Evloev is so confident in his striking ability that he guarantees he will primarily focus on a stand-up fight, regardless of who he faces for the title, and expects to win.
“I can promise that if I get a title shot, I won’t initiate takedowns,” Evloev declared. “I won’t be the first to attempt a takedown. If they try to take me down, I’ll defend, but my primary approach will be straight striking. We’ll see what happens.”
