When Movsar Evloev started his MMA career in 2014, he may not have imagined remaining undefeated after 19 professional fights. What is even better is having a 9-0 record in the UFC, which certainly warrants a title fight. Fans believe it’s long overdue, but according to his manager, the Russian star has to stay on the waiting list for a little longer. Ali Abdelaziz claims Dana White and Co. are leaning more toward a championship rematch for Volkanovski rather than pair him up with Evloev.

Alexander Volkanovski went to war at UFC 314 with Diego Lopes, delivering a stunning performance and winning the featherweight belt for a second time. The Brazilian star, as always, impressed fans and critics alike, but fell short, earning a decision loss. Regardless, the fight earned fans and, most importantly, Dana White’s approval, which spelled trouble for Movsar Evloev.

Is the UFC planning for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2? Ali Abdelaziz speaks

During an interview with Submission Radio, Ali Abdelziz said, “I think it’s gonna be Diego Lopes,” confidently suggesting that he is who the UFC has in mind to fight for the featherweight title next. The UFC is making its return to Australia with a PPV next February, so that could be where the rematch goes down. But instead of arguing that his fighter is a more credible contender for the title, Ali Abdelaziz decided to play matchmaker for Movsar Evloev.

It could be something that Dana White and Co. communicated to the manager because he envisions the Russian star taking on fellow undefeated featherweight Lerone Murphy.

“Movsar had an opportunity to fight Pico when he got injured. I would like to see Lerone Murphy fight Movsar, and I would like to see Diego Lopes fight Alexander Volkanovski,” Ali Abdelaziz added on Submission Radio. “Diego looks so good. He’s entertaining… Listen, it’s a tough fight… I think ‘Volk’ has his number. I do. But he’s good, man. He’s good… It’s part of the game, you know. Younger guys have to fight old guys to move on. And sometimes, a lot of times, old guys beat the younger guys.”

It was then that Ali revealed that there had been no discussions about Movsar Evloev in the title scene with the UFC. “If they tell us, ‘Fight Alex tomorrow’, Movsar will fight him. But in reality, this is not the case. Nobody approached me, but also, I’m just waiting to see what happens,” he further stated.

This rumored matchup is bound to leave fans scratching their heads. Evloev has racked up wins with his supposedly lackluster wrestling-heavy style. The only time he had any trouble was when he faced Arnold Allen, Aljamain Sterling, and a debuting Diego Lopes. Is the UFC banking on Lopes to take the title off an aging Volkanovski to set up an eventual rematch against Evloev? Because that would be a huge fight between two of the best next generation featherweights.

Or, Movsar Evloev could take Ali Abdelaziz’s suggestion and fight Lerone Murphy. It’s a good fight because beating the undefeated Murphy could make it undeniable that he deserves to fight the champion. It might just be ‘The Miracle’ Evloev was hoping for. Meanwhile, the 19-0 fighter has had people stand up for him and demand a title shot on his behalf. One of the most recent comments came from AKA head coach, Javier Mendez.

Movsar Evloev is “number one”, says Javier Mendez

Fighters often fail to impress Dana White because they fail to impress the fans with their performances. The numbers don’t look good, so the head honcho turns his attention to fan appeals over merit. That is the sentiment for White keeping Movsar Evloev away from the title, which Javier Mendez seems perplexed about because the Russian star’s record makes him undeniable already.

“Movsar, look at him, they are passing him up because not that many people are interested to see him, even though he deserves it. He is number one in my opinion, but is he getting it?” Javier Mendez said on the Know Time podcast. “Now, I would think that he is going back to the drawing boards, cause again, the eyeballs are not going on him. So his marketability is not there anymore.”

Magomed Ankalaev received similar treatment when he was passed up for Khalil Rountree Jr. last October. The Russian had to prove he could get the fans off their feet before getting a shot at Alex Pereira. And when he finally got the shot back in March, he won the belt rather convincingly, outperforming ‘Poatan’ on the feet, even if it was only to drop it back to the Brazilian in a first-round KO last month.

UFC is a business after all, and Dana White is not entirely at fault for choosing what helps the promotion make money. However, the community understands that Movsar Evloev is in the conversation for the belt. After missing out on the fight against Aaron Pico due to an injury, Evloev may have to take the long road to the title. What do you think?