
Movsar Evloev rules out Islam Makhachev bout with brutally honest confession
Movsar Evloev has shut down the possibility of fighting Islam Makhachev. Evloev, the number four-ranked UFC featherweight, is closing in on a title shot at 145 pounds. The undefeated Russian fighter has also briefly mentioned the possibility of moving up to lightweight, where pound-for-pound king Makhachev is the champion.
Evloev recently appeared on the OverDogs Podcast and had this to say about never wanting to fight the Dagestani UFC champion.
"Me and Islam? This guy can kill me... He's my older brother, I'm never gonna fight him. People want to see fights of big-level guys, but when they are close to each other, I don't think that's a good idea to make them face."
Check out Movsar Evloev's comments below:
Ilia Topuria vacated the UFC featherweight title earlier this year to move up to lightweight. Evloev, who was previously hunting a title shot against Topuria at featherweight, has now mentioned the possibility of moving up to 155 pounds to pursue the same matchup.
Movsar Evloev makes unexpected promise for potential fight against Alexander Volkanovski
At UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes by unanimous decision to capture the vacant UFC featherweight title. Volkanovski's potential opponents for his first title defense are Yair Rodriguez or Movsar Evloev.
During the previously mentioned interview, Evloev, who's known for his world-class wrestling skills, surprisingly promised to pursue a striking-heavy bout against Volkanovski.
"I can promise them [UFC] that I’m not gonna take down anyone if they give me a title shot. I’m not gonna go there first. If they try to take me down, I’ll accept this. But I’m not gonna go there first, I’ll just go straight striking."
Check out Evloev's comments below:
Evloev holds a professional MMA record of 19-0, including nine wins in the UFC. His lack of finishes in the promotion has created a longer path to a title shot.