After Alexander Volkanovski became a 2-time featherweight champion, the Aussie star was quite vocal about his next fight, with the opponent in mind. After being one of his younger rivals, he set his sights on another, Movsar Evloev. The Russian star is yet to suffer his first professional loss, and Volkanovski wants to be the one who removes the zero in his record. However, it does not look like Dana White and Co. are interested in the potential matchup.

When Movsar Evloev fought Arnold Allen and defeated him by earning a decision win, Dana White did not seem too impressed with the undefeated star’s performance. In fact, the UFC CEO sounded off on Evloev as he said, “That was the least fun fight anybody’s ever seen … You know who lost that fight? The fans.” However, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling begs to differ as he sided with Evloev on this one.

Dana White is undeniably the face of the promotion, so what he says matters. Reiterating that notion, Aljamain Sterling claims that if fans are not interested in watching Movsar Evloev fight, it’s because of the label that the 55-year-old had put on the Russian star. ‘Funk Master’ calls it the “Dana White stigma.” 

“I don’t think he is what people are making him out to be. And it kind of goes back to that Dana White stigma. Like, if he says something, it’s just kind of sticks,” Aljamain Sterling told ‘MMA Fighting’. “Until Dana says something else, the fans are going to always have this perception of Movsar being a boring fighter. I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s really not boring.'”

To substantiate his claim, Aljamain Sterling took the example of his friend and teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, who also faced claims of not being an exciting fighter. However, the reality comes down to what happens inside the Octagon, as Merab Dvalishvili, much like Movsar Evloev, dominates his opponents. “People were calling Merab boring, I’m like, ‘He’s not boring. It’s just your guys can’t do s–t against him.'”

Aljamain Sterling then shifted gears to tackle the question of whether Movsar Evloev has earned his shot at the title next. While he was on board with the idea, ‘Funk Master’ threw down a tough prediction for a potential showdown between the Russian powerhouse and Alexander Volkanovski.

Alexander Volkanovski will beat Movsar Evloev, claims ex-champ

Movsar Evloev is riding high on a 9-fight winning streak in the UFC, taking down some of the toughest contenders in the featherweight division. Aljamain Sterling believes that just because the victories have been by decision, it doesn’t mean he should be sidelined from the title shot. For the good of the division, Dana White needs to throw him in the octagon with Alexander Volkanovski to keep the momentum rolling.

Aljamain Sterling is pumped to see a potential showdown between Movsar Evloev and Alexander Volkanovski. Even though he says it’ll be a nail-biter, the former bantamweight champ is confident that ‘The Great’ will come out on top because he’s got the skills to handle a fighter like Evloev. That’s mainly because Volkanovski has all the skills to take the win.

“I think Movsar should be next, though. He should be next and keep this division moving,” Sterling added. “Volkanovski is a pretty good grappler himself. I think people might be underestimating how competitive that fight would be. And, I think ‘Volk’ possibly beats him.”

For now, though, Dana White and Co. have reportedly set up plans for Movsar Evloev to fight in July, as there’s no update on him getting a title shot anytime soon. In the meantime, Alexander Volkanovski is being linked to a potential rematch against Yair Rodriguez. What are your thoughts on the featherweight title scene? Drop your comments below.