UFC Noche Extends Curse for Two Unlucky Featherweights Ignored by Dana White

The UFC rocked the crowd in Paris with its stellar card last time. Now, following that, the promotion’s Noche card will be taking place this weekend, and fans will be expecting a similar showdown. The excitement around the card also increases because a featherweight showdown between Diego Lopes and Jean Silva is set as the headliner to catch the audience’s attention. But as the fans are getting hyped, questions around Dana White have also started circulating. But why?  

The 145 lbs division is currently in a very interesting phase. Alexander Volkanovski has returned to his throne by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314. However, who will face the current champ next remains unclear. And truth be told, after the San Antonio main event was announced, the UFC CEO has faced criticism for overlooking two of the division’s most prominent fighters! Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling. This tension between meritocracy and marketability is quickly becoming a defining storyline for the featherweight division.

Are Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling being pushed aside by Dana White? 

Movsar Evloev, being the number one contender for a title shot, is definitely an intriguing case. After ‘The Great’ broke the 35-year curse and reclaimed his throne, many believed the Russian would be next in line. He’s on a 10-fight winning streak with victories over Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and, most recently, Aljamain Sterling. On paper, there couldn’t be a more suitable challenger for the title. So, where did it all go south?  

Well, many reasons could be possible! But at first, if we look at Evloev’s record, we’d find he has 11 cancelled fights in the UFC. Yes, indeed, he’s not responsible for getting all of those fights cancelled. Still, there’s an indication that something went wrong when the Russians decided to fight. That happened again, when he got injured before figitng Aaron Pico on July 26, in Abu Dhabi. Which eventually changed into Lerone Murphy facing the hottest prospect of MMA at UFC 319. 

In most cases, being on a 10-fight winning streak and remaining undefeated should’ve been proof enough. But for Evloev, it seems he still needs to prove more to White and Co. Maybe they are expecting him to become a sellable star to the wider audience. A celebrated athlete that the fans would pay to watch. So, probably that’s why the UFC CEO is holding off and waiting until it becomes inevitable that the 31-year-old is next, with no one else left to take his place. However, the Aljamain Sterling case is different.  

The former bantamweight champion doesn’t get many flowers for how he captured the belt. But it’s also true that ‘Funkmaster’ managed to create a legacy by successfully defending the belt three times. So, Sterling is a legend in his own right. After losing to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292, he decided to move on and come at the featherweight division, and currently almost carved his way back to a title. 

Although Sterling suffered a loss against Evloev, it didn’t slow him down! He bounced back with a win over Brian Ortega at UFC 319, and immediately voiced his desire for a title shot. That road definitely looks tougher, but Dana White could still set up a clash between two legends as a sort of superfight if he wanted to. Yet again, it feels like the winners from UFC Noche might leap ahead and get the shot before either of them.

Why the winner of Jean Silva vs Diego Lopes could be next in line for a UFC title shot 

UFC Noche is set to deliver what might be the biggest featherweight non-title fight of the year. Diego Lopes returns after his loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314 to take on Fighting Nerds star Jean Silva. Fans are expecting fireworks, as both men are heavy hitters who can put on a spectacle anywhere—and that’s exactly what the promotion is looking for right now.

If it’s not a proven legend, Dana White would love a fresh and exciting new contender—and both Lopes and Silva fit that mold. A win on September 13th could earn either of them a one-way ticket to face the reigning featherweight champion. And stylistically, both could present nightmares for the Aussie.

Lopes showed in his last fight that he has the power, dropping Volkanovski on multiple occasions. Who’s to say he couldn’t do even better in a rematch? Meanwhile, Jean Silva has proven himself to be more than just a power puncher—he’s a well-rounded threat who could also spell big trouble for the champ.

Still, the question remains: will either of them actually get Volkanovski next? The answer, for now, probably would be no! Because another contender has done something incredible recently, which instantly might have cemented his chance to fight for the featherweight belt. 

Who’s Alexander Volkanovski facing next? 

To answer this question, we need to go back to UFC 319. After Movsar Evloev failed to welcome Aaron Pico, undefeated Brit Lerone Murphy stepped up, knowing that a victory would put him in a very strong position. And when the day came, he didn’t disappoint.

Murphy weathered Pico’s early storm and landed a crisp spinning back elbow to finish the fight in the very first round! And what does an exciting knockout over MMA’s most hyped prospect get you? A direct callout from the champ himself. Yes, Murphy and Volkanovski verbally agreed to fight in December—and it looks like the UFC would be very interested in making that matchup for the final pay-per-view of the year, potentially one for the history books.

Industry chatter suggests this matchup could headline UFC 322, although no contracts have been signed. Fan reaction has been split: some celebrate Murphy’s Cinderella rise, while others argue it bypasses years of contender building by Evloev and Sterling. That fan debate itself underscores the UFC’s balancing act between credibility and entertainment.

Of course, what happens after that remains another question. If Movsar or Sterling can’t deliver a stellar victory in the meantime, then the UFC Noche winner will almost certainly be next in line for the featherweight title. Many fans might not like it, but it’s the most likely scenario. With that said, what do you think about the current featherweight title picture? Share your thoughts in the comments below.