Movsar Evloev has denied rumours that he is out of the UFC London main event next week, insisting he will still fight Lerone Murphy.
Evloev has not fought since December 2024 due to injuries, but he is set for a showdown with Britain’s Murphy at the O2 Arena next Saturday.
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The bout, between the unbeaten contenders, is widely seen as a title eliminator at featherweight, with champion Alexander Volkanovski possibly next for the winner.
However, rumours circulated this week that Evloev would see his absence from the Octagon go on, with the Russian apparently struggling with Visa issues.
The 32-year-old denied these reports, though, writing on social media on Thursday: “Don’t listen to unreliable sources. Everything is fine with the visa. We’re going for the victory.”
Speculation that Evloev would withdraw was only heightened by a video from Jean Silva, the UFC’s sixth-ranked featherweight. Silva appeared to suggest he would share big news soon, saying: “I’m the next champion and you’re going to have to see this.”
Jean Silva (left) won a decision against Britain’s Arnold Allen in January (Getty Images)
Some took his words as a suggestion that he will replace Evloev in London, while others wondered whether he has been paired with Volkanovski in the division’s next title fight.
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Either way, Murphy appeared unfazed, sharing a video of himself at the gym, nine days out from his third UFC main event.
The Manchester fighter, 34, will enter UFC London on a nine-fight win streak and with an overall record of 17-0-1. He is ranked third at 145lb. Meanwhile, No 1-ranked Evloev is 19-0.
Lerone Murphy knocked out Aaron Pico in August with a stunning spinning elbow (Getty Images)
The Russian’s last fight was a narrow points win over former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, while Murphy last competed in August, knocking out Aaron Pico with a spinning back elbow.
Silva, 29, actually competed as recently as this week, but outside the UFC, as he faced Bryce Mitchell in a grappling match. The pair fought to a draw, 11 months after Silva knocked out Mitchell in the UFC. The Brazilian’s most-recent UFC outing was a close decision win against Murphy’s compatriot Arnold Allen in January.
