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Movsar Evloev Is Ready To Make His Big Move
Russian Contender Movsar Evloev Sees Victory Over Former Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling As The Perfect Precursor For A Fight With Featherweight Champ Ilia Topuria In 2025
Undefeated in 18 fights and with his sights set on a run at the UFC featherweight title, Movsar Evloev just wants to let his wins do the talking.
The Russian 145er, who trains out of the famed American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida, faces the biggest name of his UFC career to date when he takes on former undisputed bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 this Saturday night.
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Sterling is making the second appearance of his UFC career as a featherweight, having moved up to 145 pounds earlier this year. It’s a move that Evloev is very familiar with, having moved up to featherweight upon joining the UFC after a dominant run as the M-1 Global bantamweight champion.
“I also moved up when I fought at 135, but that was in another organization,” he said.
“When I signed with the UFC, I moved up. So I know your body is getting bigger and bigger with every weight cut and every camp. When you feel like that, it’s not easy to cut again for 135. You just move up and make yourself stronger to be ready for the bigger division.”
Evloev is fully established as one of UFC’s premier featherweights, and now it’s his turn to welcome a former bantamweight champion to 145 pounds. It’s a matchup he clearly relishes, and one that gives him the chance to make a big statement in the featherweight division as he campaigns for a shot at the undisputed title.
“Great fighter, good matchup, but we'll handle it,” he said of his latest test.
“He was the champion of another division, not mine. In my division, the champion is here. We’ll see.
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“He showed a good performance against a good fighter. But (Calvin) Kattar was a good matchup for him.
“I think Aljo is not small for featherweight. He’s a good fighter for this division – maybe not champion level, but he’s a top fighter.”
Victory for Evloev would improve his unblemished MMA record to 19-0 and extend his UFC win streak to nine. Evloev also hopes that adding the name of the former UFC bantamweight champion to his list of vanquished opponents would enhance his own title credentials, and push him to the front of the line for a shot at the featherweight crown.
“If we see it (as being) about sport and competition, everybody knows that I am the next contender,” he stated.
“And, after a win against Aljo, there’s only me who can fight with the champ.
On the topic of the 145-pound title, Evloev had some words for reigning champion Ilia Topuria. “El Matador’s” performances have impressed Evloev, but the 30-year-old said he’d be the featherweight champ’s Kryptonite if the two undefeated stars ever crossed paths inside the Octagon.
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“I respect what he has done, and I respect him. He’s a great fighter,” he said.
“He beat big legends like (Alexander) Volkanovski and Max Holloway. But these legends were good at one time, but then they took big damage and (their level) went down and you beat them. I don’t think that you beat the legends we were looking at (before).
“I’m the guy who is the worst nightmare for this guy. So just let me go (and) step inside the cage, and I’ll prove it.”
To get that chance, he’ll need to deliver a big performance against Sterling at UFC 310. And while he admitted that he’s not one of the division’s big talkers, he said that the manner of his success will deliver the statement he needs to earn a shot at championship gold in 2025.
“I have many, many plans to fight with this guy, and we’re ready for anything,” he said.
“I don’t like to talk about what I will do next. Just watch my fight and I’m sure you’ll like it."
UFC 310: Pantoja vs Asakura took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 7, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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