The featherweight division remains under the rule of Alexander Volkanovski, for now. ‘The Great’ cemented his legacy as one of the greatest 145-ers in history after defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314. With the gold belt around his waist—following his 2nd title win, Volk immediately expressed interest in facing Movsar Evloev next. However, the UFC seems to be exploring other options for now. Amidst the uncertainty, former BMF champ Jorge Masvidal stepped in once again to back Evloev as a future titleholder, though not all fans are convinced.
With a career record of 19 victories and 0 losses, Movsar Evloev is the number one contender for the featherweight title on paper. But given how many have deemed Evloev’s style as non-fan-friendly, the UFC seems to have other plans—the UFC has assured him Yair Rodriguez will be the one facing Alexander Volkanovski for the title, as per the champion himself. And Evloev? He is instead rumored to be facing Aaron Pico.
Evloev is just one victory away from earning a title shot, and Jorge Masvidal believes the Dagestani will become the 145-pound champion sooner or later. According to ‘Gamebred’, it’s only a matter of time before Evloev gets his chance to fight for the belt. While having a conversation with Red Corner MMA, Masvidal stated, “I know Movsar—longtime, four years at American Top Team. Me and Movsar trained a lot together at the time. I’m like 185–190 pounds, Movsar is like 150–160. So at first, we’re wrestling, we’re good, I’m doing okay—haha—but this guy, he does not stop. By the last minute, my head was gonna explode. He just doesn’t stop.”
He further added, “He’s just shooting, wrestling, wrestling, shooting—does not stop—always advancing positions. When I went with him, I was like, man, he’s able to keep that pace with me? I’m a lot bigger and more experienced than him. This guy’s scary. I have trained with him numerous times. I have also seen him train with some of the best in the gym. I’m telling you—this guy’s gonna be champion at 145.”
The UFC would have likely given Evloev a title shot by now, as the fighter is riding an 18-fight winning streak and has secured 9 victories under the promotion. However, the main issue holding Evloev back is that he’s a wrestling-heavy fighter and has yet to finish an opponent in the UFC.
“Movsar is going to be the champ at 145,” says Jorge Masvidal @GamebredFighter shares his experience of wrestling with @MovsarUFC Evloev at American Top Team in Florida. pic.twitter.com/YcStLZ31NM
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 16, 2025
Much like Belal Muhammad, Merab Dvalishvili, and Magomed Ankalaev, he might have to wait longer for a title opportunity. As of now, the UFC management appears reluctant to put the belt on a dominant wrestler. Well, Masvidal’s comments didn’t sit well with the fans who called him out for overestimating Evloev.
Fans show reality to Jorge Masvidal after the title win claims for Movsar Evloev
To take it off, one social media user emphasized that Movsar Evloev should just cut to the bantamweight division and fight Merab Dvalishvili for the title, “We need Movsar to cut somehow to 135 and get us rid of Merab.” Well, a battle between two gas tanks would certainly sell like hotcakes. For now, however, the Dagestani has his eyes set on the featherweight title.
Furthermore, one fan agreed with what Jorge Masvidal had to say,“Unfortunately he’s right. movsar prob beats volk at this point in his career.” Time and time again, we’ve witnessed strikers crumble against wrestlers—whether it was Sean O’Malley against Merab Dvalishvili or Conor McGregor against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Wrestlers have consistently had the upper hand, largely due to their relentless gas tanks. But that isn’t the case with Alexander Volkanovski. The featherweight champion not only boasts elite striking skills but also possesses a gas tank that can carry him through multiple grueling rounds. Remember his first fight with Islam Makhachev (which many argue, he won)?
Moreover, another fan expressed his willingness to witness a fight between Evloev and Dvalishvili, “Movsar and merab for 145 title will feed families the scrambles and the pace will be insane.” Another fan called out the Dagestani for his boring fighting style,“Nobody wants that decision machine as champion.” Out of his 19 victories, Evloev has won 12 by decision and is yet to finish an opponent inside the Octagon. This is one of the main reasons why he is not favored as the next title contender.
MMA: UFC 263-Evloev vs Dawodu Jun 12, 2021 Glendale, Arizona, USA Movsar Evloev reacts following his fight against Hakeem Dawodu during UFC 263 at Gila River Arena. Glendale Gila River Arena Arizona USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 16247491
Another fan called out Masvidal for his prediction for Bo Nickal, “Yeah he said the same shit about Bo. Masvidal is the last guy to take opinions from.” So, what did the former BMF champion say about Nickal? Well, he has been an ardent supporter of Nickal’s MMA journey. When he made his debut, Masvidal emphasized that he would be a threat to the middleweight division. In the debate of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Bo Nickal, ‘Gamebred’ even stated that Nickal, “would break Khamzat Chimaev.” However, we all witnessed what happened when Nickal was pitched against Reinier de Ridder.
Last but not least, a fan expressed his dissatisfaction over Movsar Evloev’s victory against former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, “Aljo beat him and got robbed.”
As Yair Rodriguez prepares to face Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title on some late date, the fate of Movsar Evloev lies in the Aaron Pico fight. Will the fighter be able to conquer Pico to cement his status as the next contender? Time will tell.
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