Athletes
Movsar Evloev | Overcoming The Hurdles
Russian Standout Talks Travel Woes, Constant Obstacles Ahead Of London Main Event
At some point, when circumstances keep interfering with the biggest moments of your life and career, you start to wonder “Is it me?” as if you pick up a hex somewhere along the way that you didn’t know about because that’s the only thing that could rightfully explain why challenges and hurdles continually pop up at the most inopportune times possible.
Featherweight standout Movsar Evloev has faced these types of challenges throughout his UFC journey, with injuries keeping him sidelined for long stretches and scuttling significant fights that would have further solidified his standing as one of the top contenders in the 145-pound weight class. Slated to headline this weekend’s UFC return to London against fellow unbeaten Lerone Murphy in what many view as a title eliminator, the elite Russian talent was once again left wondering about his karmic energy as circumstances beyond his control threatened to keep him from stepping into the Octagon on Saturday night at The O2 Arena.
Full London Fight Card Preview
“The biggest issue was with my visa; I was supposed to be here a week ago, but it is what it is; I’m finally here,” he told UFC.com’s McKenzie Pavacich on Wednesday afternoon in London, having finally arrived in the host city after a complicated voyage to England. “I can’t believe I’m fighting Saturday.
“It’s the toughest situation in my career right now,” continued the 19-0 featherweight. “It was Ramadan —diet and fasting at the same time —and also, I have a lot of work to do myself, going to the embassy or application center, from one place to the other, doing hard training sessions, cutting weight. It was tough, but I can handle it.
Full Fight | Movsar Evloev vs Aljamain Sterling
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Full Fight | Movsar Evloev vs Aljamain Sterling
/
“Every day my mind changed about ‘Maybe I’m not fighting,’ and then ‘Okay, there is another chance to get there,’ and then again, ‘Maybe I’m not fighting.’ It was complicated. (It’s been) 15 months since my last action, and I was worried about if I don’t show up, my people, my fans, fans of MMA will become my haters.
“I already have a big (group) of them, but I don’t need new ones.”
Evloev laughed, showing he’s still in good spirits despite the travel ordeal, and when I spoke with him later in the day, the 32-year-old had already begun shifting into fight mode. Though he was still engaging and open, the playfulness had given way to focus.
“(Only the) weight cut is left,” he said. “I’m happy, and with all this headache I’ve gone through the last couple of days, finally I’m just about to fight. It’s hard to believe.”
RELATED: Lerone Murphy's Fight Week Interview
The dominant force from Ingusheita has been a fixture towards the top of the rankings in the featherweight division for the last several years, as wins over Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling have repeatedly cemented his standing as an elite contender. But timing is everything in this life, and the combination of untimely injuries and a fighting style that is undeniably effective, but not as aesthetically pleasing as the current audience craves have conspired to keep him from challenging for championship gold so far.
It’d be easy to take if there were one or two instances where things went awry, but his Tapology page does a brilliant job of illustrating the depth of the struggles Evloev has had to navigate in order to get to where he is now. Prior to all but one of his nine trips into the Octagon, there had been some form of cancellation or change. From opponents pulling out with injuries, Evloev’s motorcycle accident, a positive COVID test, you name it, and while it’s “part of the sport,” it can certainly get tiring.
Fortunately for Evloev, he’s always had a built-in way to combat the frustrations that such consistent issues could bring about.
ICYMI: Dana White Announces Every Main Event Until The White House Card
“The one thing that made me get through all that — all of those setbacks, all of those things I had to get through — was the fact that I actually love being in training,” he said. “I love coming back to the gym, I love learning new things, so no matter what kind of setback, what kind of stuff I had to go through, the biggest thing was that I’m a student of the game and I love coming back, learning more.”
And now, barring any kind of catastrophe, he’s finally set to make the walk again to face off with Murphy in the best possible matchup between contenders available on the UFC roster right now.
Each man enters on a nine-fight winning streak and carrying a zero in the loss column; Evloev is 19-0, while Murphy is 17-0-1, having fought Zubaira Tukhugov to a draw in his UFC debut. They are ranked first and third in the talent-rich featherweight division, separated by two-time title challenger Diego Lopes, whom Evloev beat, and many believe the winner will follow in facing two-time champ Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC title later this year.
London's eyes are on this one 🎡@MovsarUFC vs @LeroneMurphy
— UFC (@ufc) March 16, 2026
[ #UFCLondon | MAR 21 | 4pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/BzMQ8ai6bw
But none of those things are of concern to Evloev at this moment —not his opponent’s record, his place in the rankings, or the belief that the victor will secure a championship opportunity.
“It doesn’t really affect me and doesn’t make any kind of difference for me,” he said. “What’s most important in any fight, whether you’re fighting an undefeated person or not, the most important thing is the work you have done to prepare, the shape that you’re coming into the fight in, everything you have done for yourself to be sure of yourself in the fight.
“Everything else — any of the other noise, any of the other accolades someone has is the work they had to do. What you can control and what’s important is what you’ve done for the fight to be the victor.
“No matter what I do, if I go out there and smoke him —have the craziest finish you can imagine — ultimately, who decides what happens next is the UFC; they say who is going to be the next (challenger) for the current champion, so there is nothing I can do.”
Watch This And Every UFC Event Live On Paramount+
Instead, the focused contender has — as he said — committed all his energy to preparing to face Murphy with designs on delivering the kind of performances that make it crystal clear that he is a cut above the competition.
“He’s great in striking, he’s got really heavy kicks, and maybe another thing he has is that he gets up really well after a takedown; not a lot of people have been able to hold him down,” Evloev said. “I think this is something I’m going to have to concentrate on is that when he gets taken down, he doesn’t get up as easily, so we’ll have to work on that.
“People in my position, when you ask a question like that, they have nothing else to say but ‘I have to finish him and make it an exciting finish,’ but I don’t think that’s what this is at all,” continued Evloev. “I think the most important thing is to show levels.
“The level you show when you’re in the Octagon has to leave absolutely nobody denying that you are the No. 1 contender. Obviously, the win is great, and it’s great if it’s a finish, but I think there is way more to it than that.
“You show that level, and people see that without question you are the No. 1 contender.”
How he’ll navigate a 25-minute contest remains one of the big unanswered questions hovering over this weekend’s headline pairing, but in theory, Evloev said he loves the idea.
“I actually like the five rounds,” he said. “I always wanted to do five rounds because you’ve got more time to spend in the cage, more time to find the victory.”
Main Event Preview | UFC London
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Main Event Preview | UFC London
/
Earning a victory this weekend is what matters most, and if things go as planned, Evloev will secure that win in such a dominant fashion that no one will be able to deny he’s on a completely different tier than the rest of the title hopefuls in the featherweight ranks.
“Everybody who is a fan of the game, who knows the game, it’s important that they know ‘Okay, it’s Movsar and nobody else’ and that’s why I have to go out there and show levels.”
From there, whatever happens is out of his control.
But given everything he’s endured, this week and overall, maybe it’s time for things to finally break his way for once.
Only time will tell.
McKenzie Pavacich contributed to this story.
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy took place live from The O2 in London, England On March 21, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags