Movsar Evloev is on a mission to face Ilia Topuria, and he’s not concerned about whether there’s a championship on the line or not. Topuria made waves by clinching the featherweight title from Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and further solidified his reputation when he knocked out Max Holloway for the first time at UFC 308. With Evloev and Diego Lopes once in the running for the next title challenge, things took a turn when Topuria opted to relinquish his belt and jumped to lightweight. This shift means Lopes will now square off against Volkanovski for the vacant title at UFC 314, set to take place on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
All the while, Evloev is left with an unquenched thirst to test his skills against Topuria. With aspirations to ultimately secure the featherweight crown, Evloev then plans to pursue Topuria in the lightweight division. For him, it’s not about the title—it’s about proving who’s superior.
“I’m ready to make my move to 155 pounds,” Evloev shared with Home of Fight. “But first, I need that featherweight title, and then I’m coming after him… It’s not about the lightweight title; it’s about facing him. He’s beaten nearly everyone at featherweight, so I need to show I’m the strongest featherweight, even if our showdown happens at lightweight.”
While Topuria has impressively finished six of his eight UFC bouts, Evloev’s ability to finish fights has been questioned. Despite the critique, his undefeated record boasts victories over top-tier opponents like Dan Ige, Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling, underscoring his prowess in the octagon.
