The UFC’s Featherweight division saw the brief reign of the undefeated Ilia Topuria end as he vacated the title for a Lightweight championship fight. Having lost the title to Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski reclaimed it with a unanimous decision win over Diego Lopes at UFC 314.
Alexander Volkanovski’s Preferred Opponent Takes Another Fight
Before UFC 314, Volkanovski and Lopes expressed interest in fighting Movsar Evloev next. Volkanovski was vocal about wanting to fight Evloev after reclaiming the title, but was also okay about facing whoever the UFC wants him to fight.
Unfortunately, Volkanovski vs. Evloev won’t happen next. In a recent social media post on X, the Ingush fighter revealed that he has accepted another fight.
“If you are a UFC fighter and believe you are the best in the world then you have fight every fight they throw at you, no risk no reward. See you guys in July, it’s ON #AbuDhabi,” he wrote.
If you are a UFC fighter and believe you are the best in the world then you have fight every fight they throw at you, no risk no reward.
See you guys in July, it’s ON #AbuDhabi
— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) May 22, 2025
Evloev also sent a message to Evloev on X, writing, ” Thank you Champ for trying to fight me, I will fight in July and you fight in September, hopefully we both win and we can meet in December.”
@alexvolkanovski thank you Champ for trying to fight me, I will fight in July and you fight in September, hopefully we both win and we can meet in December.
— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) May 22, 2025
As Bloody Elbow reported from their source, Evloev will face Aaron Pico in a five-round UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event in July. A Middleweight matchup between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder serves as the headliner of the fight night.
Pico, who recently signed with the UFC after his release from PFL, disclosed on “Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry” that he had agreed to fight Evloev on May 17 for his debut fight, but it didn’t materialize. Evloev had earlier shared the news of being offered the fight on X.
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.
— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) April 4, 2025
As Evloev mentioned, Volkanovski will fight at UFC 320 in September, where all eyes are on Yair Rodriguez, who defeated UFC debutant Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314. UFC 320, also known as Noche UFC 3, will be held at the Arena Guadalajara in Mexico, and Rodriguez seems to be the only native fighter to headline the PPV.
Other notable names are former Flyweight champions Brandon Moreno (Men’s) and Alexa Grasso (Women’s). Unfortunately, Grasso lost her last fight, and Moreno lost twice, three if Ultimate Fighter fights are counted, to champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Volkanovski had already fought Rodriguez, winning via TKO at UFC 290. Since then, Rodriguez has shared a loss and a win apiece. Lerone Murphy, another undefeated Featherweight, had recently expressed disinterest in seeing a potential Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez II.
“That would be terrible for the division, for the sport,” Murphy said on “Submission Radio“. “Because realistically, and not to say Yair is not a good fighter, but he’s lost about three or four title shots, and he’s only had one win in three fights, and it was against a guy that’s unranked. So it wouldn’t make sense.”
Murphy last fought at UFC Vegas 105, defeating Josh Emmet via decision. The 33-year-old believes that he is the only fighter at Featherweight who could snatch the belt away from Volkanovski, saying his fellow undefeated Evloev can’t hang with the champion in a five-round fight.