Movsar Evloev is expected to wrestle British opponent Lerone Murphy in London on Saturday. That’s what Evloev usually does. Throw a guy to the canvas and show him the Russian way.
In the first round, however, Evloev chose to step up and trade with Murphy, confusing commentators and annoying everyone in the country. Even Murphy kept doing Masvidal-esque knee jerks at questionable level changes to warn against any such thoughts. Lerrone, like everyone else watching, spent the first round in that anticipation.
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And then there’s a second one. Then comes the third part.
When Evloev scored his first knockout at UFC London, we were already on the verge of heading into the championship game. Because he prefers to play Murphy’s game rather than his own, it’s widely believed that Evloev dug a 3-0 hole in the scorecards — or at least 2-1. Of course, surprisingly he didn’t. At least that’s how it seems to the judge sitting next to the cage. In fact, two of those gavels officially gave Evloev the lead heading into the fourth round.
The general misinformation about the fight we were watching deepened when Evloev was docked a point in the fourth round for repeated strikes to the groin. Although Evloev won the bout, it was nothing more than a fiery denial. In the eyes of many, the fifth wheel is academic. Evloev easily won the round with tenacious wrestling, but he arrived at the O2 Arena too late.
Murphy won. Or does he? It’s a strange battle. A card trick version of a fighting game that reminds you of what you just saw. Are we cheating ourselves by focusing on what we have? no see rather than what we see yes?
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It seems to me that Evloev went to England – into hostile territory, as the broadcast claimed – to ensure that the UFC would give him the title. He’s using fire to prove he can fight in a way that satisfies the UFC because he doesn’t want to be ignored because of his style. In other words, he wanted to be more interesting, which is understandable. Previously on the UFC website, in a feature designed to hype up the featherweight title eliminator, they called him a “decision machine.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Two years ago in Toronto, Dana White condemned Evloev’s fight with Arnold Allen, saying “tonight’s fight sucked the wind out of the arena,” even though it was one of Movsar’s best and most creative performances. That fight could have easily earned him a title shot, but the UFC moved him to face Aljamain Sterling next, a confession released by the nation. He also defeated Sterling, but it was far less impressive — at least in the eyes of the UFC. That means he has to keep swimming while Diego Lopez (the man Evloev beat before his fight with Allen) gets his second shot at the 145-pound title.
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It also means he has to defeat Murphy, who also has a 9-0 record in the UFC, over five rounds in London. In conversations with Evloev over the past few years, he has made no secret of the fact that he feels scrutinized in the featherweight title picture. These slights resulted in a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders. His main argument was that, yes, he needed all 27 rounds to get to nine UFC wins, but they were still nine wins.
his competitor status should be Undeniable. If aesthetics got in the way, coupled with his perceived lack of a killer instinct, he would take on another look.
Movsar Evloev reacts to being deducted during his featherweight bout against Lerone Murphy in London.
(Bradley Collier-PA Photo via Getty Images)
Perhaps part of Saturday’s early push to break out of singles is to conserve energy for his first five-round UFC fight, but the calculated risk seems to be to meet Murphy on his own terms — perhaps to prove a point, or change some perceptions — before acquiescing to the wrestling.
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This strategy could easily backfire, especially against a slugger like Murphy, who starved Aaron Pico in his last outing. Yet Evloev managed to clear the way. Did he win four of the five rounds, as two judges thought? For the record, I had it tied 47-47 with Evloev finishing third, but each of the first three rounds was close. It was only his unwillingness to do what he was condemned that ultimately ended it all. Although Murphy was able to get back to his feet and break Evloev’s death grip, Evloev could have made his night easier by doing what he does best from the start.
Instead, he tailors it to taste, and—as ingenious as it may seem—he more than sticks to his own style. It’s a double-edged sword for Russia’s expressionless lightweight burden. When he spoke to Michael Bisping afterward, you could hear his frustration.
“UFC, there are no more excuses for me to fight for the title,” he said. “I have nothing to say.”
Murphy himself said in a post-fight interview that the UFC needs to give Evloev a chance. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski called it an “interesting fight” and seemed eager to fight Evloev next.
“I think none of us want Movsar to just be with Lerrone,” the champion told Paramount+. “I’m not really sure if it’s something he feels like he has to do so that he can guarantee himself a title shot. But you can see when he wants to take the fight, he gets stronger and then is able to outpace him. To me, that’s impressive, to be honest. He’s 20-0 now and I guess he’s next in line.”
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Impressive enough to earn a title shot?
In that regard, White was noncommittal when asked if Evloev was next.
“Probably,” he said. “Again, I wasn’t even thinking about that. The fight just ended. But, yeah, obviously he’s in a good position.”
Evloev lives in a good position. Great locations don’t always translate into title shots, especially with Jean Silva barking at the camera in London.
In the end, Evloev racked up nine takedowns and accumulated nearly four minutes of control time. He beat down Murphy and left him in a bad shape by the end of the night. Murphy had a hard time getting back on the stool. He did some damage to another serious contender in his division, and the judges, who were sitting within earshot of the blows, thought he had done enough.
This raises a bigger question – Is it enough??
