When he won over Aljamain Sterling in December last year, undefeated featherweight contender Movsar Evloev had clarified that he won’t be asking UFC CEO Dana White to get him a title shot. Lo and behold, he hasn’t fought a single one this season. However, the Russian star is reportedly returning to the Octagon against a fellow undefeated contender for a February 2026 card. But he first found himself at the center of a controversy.

Reports by MMA enthusiast Pam made rounds previously that Evloev has been caught up in a dispute over the timing of the fight against Lerone Murphy at UFC London with Dana White and Co., which could conflict with his religious commitments. To make sure this fight happens, the UFC was said to have put Evloev’s back against the wall, threatening to cut him if he doesn’t take the fight. But it appears that this was just a ruse.

“Movsar Being Threatened to be Cut From The Promotion if He Did Not Take This Fight is NOT True,” another enthusiast, Kevin K, challenged the claim. According to him, there is no evidence that suggests the 19-0 undefeated fighter was ever forced by the UFC to comply with their plans for him to fight Lerone Murphy.

Apparently, the Russian star was denied his preferred date over Murphy’s preference for a headlining fight in his native country on his preferred date. This apparently put Evloev in a difficult spot because this fight would require him to train during the holy month of Ramadan.

Another report had already established that Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy both gave the green light to Dana White about their fight. They have even put pen to paper on the contract. Both of these fighters have been calling for a title shot, but some believe that Evloev is more deserving of that opportunity.

Looking at the current UFC rankings, Evloev stands in the first spot to take down the champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Moreover, White had himself confirmed that Evloev will get a title shot if he won over Sterling.

However, UFC instead announced a rematch between No. 2 Diego Lopes and Volkanovski despite the latter wanting to fight his undefeated next man up. Even the champion acknowledged Evloev getting snubbed once again.

Featherweight champ backs 19-0 star

Alexander Volkanovski has always welcomed tough challenges. After he became the 2-time champion, The Great mentioned Movsar Evloev among others, claiming that he’d love to test himself against younger fighters. Volkanovski was pretty certain that the UFC would grant him his wish and pit him against Evloev. When that didn’t happen, he assured the fans and the Russian star that he would be waiting for him if Evloev made it through his next fight.

“I called for Movsar straight after the fight. I knew he was going to be fighting (Pico), then he pulled out… I’m like, ‘There goes your opportunity,'” the featherweight champion told Sky News Australia. “We’ll see what happens. Whether Movsar and Lerone fight somebody or each other, prove themselves, and then I’ll fight them straight after. So don’t worry. They won’t miss their opportunity.”

It seems like Alexander Volkanovski isn’t just waiting for Movsar Evloev but for Lerone Murphy, too. Both undefeated stars have a chance to make their wins count at UFC London. Their fight is yet to be made official by Dana White and Co., but before we get to that, let us know what you think about this featherweight clash in the comments down below.

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