Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Joe Lopez has backed Movsar Evloev as the next featherweight title challenger following his closely contested win over Lerone Murphy at UFC London.
Evloev defeated Murphy by decision in a bout widely viewed as a title eliminator, though UFC CEO Dana White stopped short of confirming the undefeated Russian as the next contender, saying only that a title shot was “possible.”
“Realistically, I judge the fight a draw,” Lopez said, according to Submission Radio. “But I’m glad it didn’t end up a draw because then we’d probably get [Diego] Lopes 3. So I’m glad that didn’t happen. I’m glad Movsar got on top. He’s been hanging there for a long time. We’re glad for that matchup.”
Lopez suggested Evloev may have altered his usual approach to make the fight more appealing, adding: “We’ve heard things in the background that they’ve told him, or maybe he just thought to himself, ‘Look, they’re not gonna give me a go unless I stand and bang,’” Lopez said. “And, yeah, that’s what he tried to do for the first three rounds. And then, obviously, when he wanted to take him down, he took him down pretty easily.”
Despite competition from other contenders, Lopez dismissed claims that Jean Silva should leapfrog the rankings, stating: “He’s the deserving one,” Lopez said. “There’s a lot of Jean Silva or whatever his name is barking on like the little dog that he is in the background, trying to make a a lot of noise to make himself think he’s the next one. But he’s not deserving. You know? There’s still [Aljamain Sterling] and a lot of guys above him. He’s got to earn his spot.” He added: “Don’t think because you make a lot of noise you’re gonna get it, because you’re not.”
The UFC has yet to confirm Volkanovski’s next opponent, with uncertainty remaining over whether Evloev’s win will be sufficient to secure a title opportunity amid competing contenders in the division.
Volkanovski, the reigning champion, has recently faced questions over matchmaking after defending his title in a rematch against Diego Lopes, while Evloev remains unbeaten at 20-0 with a 10-fight UFC win streak.
