The featherweight division is somewhat of a mess. Why? Despite a couple of credible contenders waiting on the sidelines, Dana White decided to give the fans a second edition of Diego Lopes vs Alexander Volkanovski. In the meantime, reports were surfacing online that the UFC CEO had planned something for the snubbed contenders, and now we have some concrete details regarding it.

Alexander Volkanovski was very vocal about wanting to give chances to fighters who he thinks deserve to fight for the title. Those fighters include the undefeated duo of Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. But Dana White had something else in mind, as it seems like Murphy and Evloev have decided to listen to the head honcho and oblige.

A Dicey Detour on the Road to Gold

As many fans would know already, Dana White and Co. have already announced on their website the first few events that will take place in the Paramount Era up until March. One of those events will take place in the United Kingdom as the UFC will return to London on 21 March. So far, the official website has not revealed the entire fight card, but the main event is reportedly set to be a featherweight clash.

Both Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy have been calling for a shot at the belt, racking up 9-fight winning streaks, respectively. But the best way to get there is to do what your boss wants you to do, and it appears that Evloev and Murphy have signed the contract for this fight at the O2 Arena, as confirmed by MMA enthusiast Kevin K. on social media.

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While Lerone Murphy might be taking a risk fighting Movsar Evloev and putting his title hopes at risk, Movsar Evloev would be happy to just land a fight and get back inside the Octagon. The Russian star missed out on competing in 2025, having to sit out the entire year. At one point, Evloev would have been the one to welcome Aaron Pico into the UFC, but he pulled out due to an injury, and Murphy stepped in to register the most exciting win in his career.

While the UFC CEO hasn’t publicly spoken about the reason why he snubbed the featherweight duo, the general consensus is that Lopes got the green light primarily due to his being a marketable fighter. People claim that his popularity and place among fans are similar to those of former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. Lerone Murphy was quite disappointed when he heard that Diego Lopes would be getting another chance at gold and made sure that the UFC brass understood how he felt about it.

Lerone Murphy Expresses Disdain Over Title Politics

Dana White expects his fighters to generate entertainment for the fans. He’s had reservations about Movsar Evloev due to his wrestling-heavy approach, but Lerone Murphy just pulled out an impressive KO win over Aaron Pico, who had a lot of hype behind him.

‘The Miracle’ believes that he has proved himself to be the one to go head-to-head with the champion. However, Murphy is disappointed about the fact that ‘popularity’ has become a much bigger factor for title eligibility.

“Missing the opportunity to fight one of featherweight’s goats is what hurts me the most. It’s not about who’s the best anymore. It’s about who’s most popular,” Lerone Murphy wrote on X a few weeks ago.

Well, Diego Lopes and Alexander Volkanovski will fight again, and it’s official. So, the only thing that Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy can do is to win their fights and become even more indomitable as the next in line for a title shot. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.