When Diego Lopes called for a rematch with Movsar Evloev after his UFC 314 endeavor, fans were electrified. “Of course, this fight is important to me—he beat me in the past,” Lopes said, setting the stage for what many believed would be the first title defense, whether for him or Alexander Volkanovski. But when reports emerged that the Dagestani would face former Bellator and PFL standout Aaron Pico, the MMA community was left stunned and utterly confused. However, the confusion soon turned into excitement as the undefeated fighter uploaded training clips ahead of his battle.
‘Red Corner MMA,’ the same ones who were to break the news of the rumored bout, took to their Instagram handle to share a video uploaded by Movsar Evloev where he was showing off his core strength by doing a back lever on gymnastic rings. As a wrestler, core strength is essential for a fighter—and Evloev seems to have mastered it. But why is he training? Well, that’s because the undefeated fighter is rumored to be booked to clash against former Bellator and PFL title challenger Aaron Pico, who will be debuting under the UFC. The duo will clash against each other at the UFC Apex on the UFC Vegas 106 card.
Now, you might be wondering—why is Movsar Evloev taking a risk when both Diego Lopes and Alexander Volkanovski have already confirmed that he’s next. The Dagestani had been waiting to fight former title challenger Brian Ortega; however, ‘T-City’ seems unavailable or undecided at the moment.
Out of frustration, Evloev took to his X handle to emphasize: “Today I got offered a fight in the UFC against someone new for May 17th. I have been waiting for Ortega for 3 months I’m not sure what is going on with him, but I’m ready to fight May 17th against anyone.” As he announced his willingness to get back into the Octagon soon, ‘Red Corner MMA’ came forward to announce that the undefeated fighter will be fighting Aaron Pico in the Apex.
The UFC Apex will take center stage on May 17, with Movsar Evloev and Aaron Pico reportedly headlining the events. The originally announced UFC vegas 106 was set for May 31, with Erin Blanchfieldand and Maycee Barber headlining the Apex card. But the plans seem to have changed now and the women’s flyweight bout will now reportedly headline UFC Vegas 107 on the same date.
Moreover, Evloev vs. Pico is not the only high-profile fight that has been added to the newly minted UFC Vegas 106 card. It must be noted that the top brass of the promotion has yet to announce the same but the speculations are there.
The entire event is quite stacked for Apex standards. Along with Evloev, the fans can witness Curtis Blaydes taking on Rizvan Kuniev in a heavyweight clash, as well as a light-heavyweight showdown between Paul Craig and Rodolfo Bellato. As Evloev uploaded his training footage, the MMA community took to their social media to react to it. Let’s have a look at what the fans have to say.
Fans back Movsar Evloev after training footage surfaces
Ilia Topuria‘s ascent to the lightweight division has opened the doors for Movsar Evloev to rise atop the featherweight ladder. However, will the Dagestani be content? Why are we saying this? That’s because he wanted to fight Ilia Topuria and win the belt. But since Topuria isn’t available, he’ll have to compromise. Looking at this, a fan wrote, “That’s why Ilia ran from him.”
Doing a back lever requires isometric core strength, posterior chain engagement, and scapular & shoulder strength, which makes it one of the most difficult exercises to showcase. For the unreserved, it means that your entire abdomen, lats, shoulders, glutes, and lower back should work together to do a perfect back lever, and Movsar Evloev, through this exercise, proved why he is one of the best. A social media user wrote, “I did gymnastics as a kid but never on rings. The core strength just to be straight like that can take a lifetime. I’ve seen people unable to do that.”
Furthermore, another fan is excited to witness the clash between Pico and Evloev: “Him and piko would be awesome.” The Dagetsani is undefeated in his MMA career, while on the other hand, Pico is 13-4 in his MMA fights finishing most of his opponents. Their fight can be dubbed as a clash between a knockout artist vs. a decision merchant, as Evloev has yet to finish any of his opponents.
Interestingly, a fan believes that the back lever was not something impressive, “Of course he has crazy core strength but the back lever isn’t the craziest excercise to showcase that, it isn’t that hard.”
Vowing not to consume sugar until he holds the UFC gold, Evloev has a unique way to keep himself motivated, and a fan believes that he can be the champion by the end of the year: “He will be champion by the end of 2025.” Last but not least, a fan added, “That’s why Ilia Tompture scares so much.”
As Movsar Evloev is rumored to clash against Aaron Pico, what are your thoughts on the prospective fight? State your opinion in the comments below.
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