Movsar Evloev’s next fight could be for the UFC featherweight championship, but Dana White won’t commit.
Evloev (20-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) extended his undefeated record on Saturday with a majority decision win over Lerone Murphy (17-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 270 main event at The O2 in London. It was a solid performance, but not the type of statement the Russian was hoping to deliver to secure the next crack at 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski.
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Despite lacking emphasis, Evloev’s record stands out above the rest in his weight class, and White said he’s very much one of the candidates to land the next crack at gold.
“Possibly, yeah,” White told reporters of an Evloev title shot at the UFC Fight Night 270 post-fight press conference. “I’m not even thinking about that. The fight just ended. But yeah, obviously he’s in a great position.”
Although Evloev, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, has a resume that is unmatched, it appears he could have some competition to get No. 1-ranked Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) next in the form of exciting No. 6-ranked contender Jean Silva.
Silva (17-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was cageside at UFC Fight Night 270 and pestered UFC executive Hunter Campbell to send the bout agreement with Volkanovski. UFC CEO Dana White was asked about that possibility in the aftermath of the event, and did not rule it out.
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“We’ll have to see,” White said. “When we announce it, you’ll know it’s true.”
Ultimately, White thinks Evloev is rightfully in striking distance to challenge for gold. There was some debate about whether Evloev was deserving of the win after some early all-striking rounds and a point deduction for low blows, but White saw no issues with the scorecards.
“I think one of the judges had it probably a draw,” White said. “I don’t think there’s any controversy.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White: Movsar Evloev in ‘great position’ for UFC title shot
