There is no doubt that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest Russian mixed martial artist. ‘The Eagle’ has been an inspiration and a role model for Russians, especially Dagestani fighters. And one of these young Russian fighters is UFC featherweight Movsar Evloev. While he does not train with Nurmagomedov, he has spoken about wanting to train with the former champion.

Like Nurmagomedov, the 29-year-old is undefeated and has made an impact in the UFC’s featherweight division. While he is currently ranked #9 in the division, his next fight may catapult him to the top and take him one step away from a title shot. As he gears up for the all-in fight against Arnold Allen at UFC 297, let us take a look at his gym, teammates, and martial arts background.

Where and with whom does Movsar Evolev train?

Movsar Evloev has shown a lot of promise in his UFC stint so far and has the potential to be the next big thing in the promotion. Having won all seventeen of his professional MMA fights, the Sunzha, Ingushetia native is on the cusp of becoming champion.

The Russian started his martial arts journey in Greco-Roman wrestling and earned a Master of Sports in it before he turned pro in 2014. Interestingly, Movasar is the brother of Greco-Roman Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion, Musa Evloev. Movsar started his professional MMA career in M-1 promotion and went on to become the bantamweight champion in only his seventh fight in the promotion.

He went on to defend the title three times until he joined the UFC in 2020. This move seems to have prompted him to change his gym too. Evloev used to train at the Nart Fight Club in his native Sunzha but moved to the American Top Team gym in Florida.

ATT is home to UFC champions and stars such as Alexandre Pantoja, Dustin Poirier, Bo Nickal, Joanna Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Mateusz Gamrot. Training there would surely help him refine his skills and perfect his craft to compete at the highest stage in mixed martial arts. And he would be looking to be on top of his game as he gets ready for the most important fight of his career so far.

Evloev vs. Allen set for UFC 297

Evloev will face #3 ranked Arnold Allen at UFC 297, the promotion’s first PPV event of 2024 on January 20 in Toronto, Canada. A win here would certainly help make a strong case for Evloev to fight for the title next. Although Allen is coming into the fight having lost his last fight to former champion Max Holloway, he would certainly be the biggest challenge in Evloev’s career so far. The result will determine whether he belongs to the top-most echelon of the featherweight division or if he needs to work more on his craft before being in a position to challenge for the title.

Also read: Khamzat Chimaev Put on Alert After Glaring Flaws Against Kamaru Usman as Undefeated Bo Nickal Throws Down Future Challenge

Undefeated Ilia Topuria will be challenging featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a much-awaited fight for the title at UFC 298 next month. As things stand in the division, it is likely the winner of this title bout would have to face the winner of Allen-Evloev. Who do you think will win their UFC 297 bout?

Watch this story: Jorge Masvidal And Chael Sonnen Go Back And Forth