Tag: Movsar Evloev

Aljamain Sterling Moves On From Movsar Evloev Matchup, Targets Different Ranked Featherweight For The Sphere

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has appeared to lose patience with the undefeated Movsar Evloev. Sterling announced his arrival in the featherweight division with a successful divisional debut at UFC 300 this past March. “Funk Master” utilized his grappling to limit all of Calvin Kattar’s offense en route to the scorecards. Since then, much […]

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Moves On From Movsar Evloev Matchup, Targets Different Ranked Featherweight For The Sphere at MMA News.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has appeared to lose patience with the undefeated Movsar Evloev.

Sterling announced his arrival in the featherweight division with a successful divisional debut at UFC 300 this past March. “Funk Master” utilized his grappling to limit all of Calvin Kattar’s offense en route to the scorecards.

Since then, much of the discussion regarding Sterling’s sophomore outing at 145 pounds has involved Evloev, who sits three places above the ex-bantamweight at #5 in the rankings.

While the pair expressed mutual interest in the fight, they’ve since been at odds over its apparent delay, with both throwing blame at one another.

Evidently, Sterling has now had enough of that back and forth…

Sterling Adjusts Sights From Evloev To Lopes

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sterling provided an update on his future plans, as he looks to climb toward the gold at 145 pounds in pursuit of two-division glory.

With a lengthy period of discourse with Evloev not resulting in an official booking, “Funk Master” expressed frustration at the Russian’s ongoing “excuses.”

And with that, he has a fresh name in mind for his desired appearance at the Sphere for Noche UFC this fall.

“Stay tuned. Hopefully we’ll have some fight news for you guys. I’m thinking about Aljamain Sterling vs. Diego Lopes as the Sphere,” Sterling said. “That has a nice ring to it.

“Movsar, I don’t know what the hell he’s doing. I gave him a date, he hasn’t accepted yet. He started making all these excuses,” Sterling continued. “Either you want to fight on my terms or I’ll go fight somebody else. So, Diego Lopes, if you oblige, let’s make it happen at the Sphere, September 14.”

Interestingly, Evloev’s different take on why the long-discussed fight with Sterling isn’t coming to fruition has also led him to the doorstep of Lopes and a potential rematch.

Lopes is one of the fastest-rising names in the division, having followed a competitive short-notice debut against Evloev last May with four straight wins, the first three of which came in the opening round.

Most recently, the Mexico-based Brazilian defeated Dan Ige in a UFC 303 matchup that came about on just hours’ notice following the extremely late withdrawal of Brian Ortega.

While Lopes remains outside the top 10 and four places below Sterling in the featherweight pecking order, “Funk Master” seemingly wants to capitalize on the hype around the 29-year-old’s name on a major platform this September.

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Moves On From Movsar Evloev Matchup, Targets Different Ranked Featherweight For The Sphere at MMA News.

’10-7 Diego Lopes’ – Fans React After Lopes & Movsar Evloev Trade Barbs Over UFC 303 Fight On X

UFC featherweight contenders Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev recently exchanged heated words on X, much to the MMA community’s amusement, adding fuel to the already unclear matchmaking situation in the division. Lopes navigated a tumultuous lead-up to his short-notice fight at UFC 303 last Saturday. Despite the chaos, the highly regarded featherweight contender extended his […]

Continue Reading ’10-7 Diego Lopes’ – Fans React After Lopes & Movsar Evloev Trade Barbs Over UFC 303 Fight On X at MMA News.

UFC featherweight contenders Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev recently exchanged heated words on X, much to the MMA community’s amusement, adding fuel to the already unclear matchmaking situation in the division.

Lopes navigated a tumultuous lead-up to his short-notice fight at UFC 303 last Saturday. Despite the chaos, the highly regarded featherweight contender extended his winning streak, triumphing over Dan Ige, who accepted the bout just a few hours before the showdown.

With Brian Ortega unable to compete, Lopes chose to remain on the card and face Ige, who resides near the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and heroically stepped up when the UFC needed him most.

Lopes had his fair share of success with both striking and grappling throughout the first two rounds of their fight. However, Ige mounted a fierce comeback in the final round, pushing the Brazilian to his limits. Despite this, Lopes secured the victory, with all three judges unanimously scoring the bout 29-28 in his favor.

Following Lopes’ triumph, Evloev took to X to propose a rematch against his former opponent at Noche UFC (UFC 306), slated for September 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undefeated Russian’s challenge came out of apparent frustration with Aljamain Sterling’s reluctance to schedule a fight.

“Hey, @Diegolopesmma, I wanna give you a rematch at the Sphere because @funkmasterMMA is running for his life, and this time, I’m gonna finish you.”

Lopes swiftly fired back at Evloev, accusing him of ignoring his previous callout for a rematch.

“Have you finally realized that the way the UFC pays attention to you is by mentioning my name? Or are you afraid that tomorrow morning I’ll be in your place in the rankings? It took you 3 months to get back to me. Sit back and watch the big guys do the work.”

Lopes’ Apparent Rejection of Evloev’s Offer Sparks Fan Reactions

The two fighters first clashed at UFC 288 in May 2023, where Lopes made his promotional debut on less than a week’s notice. Although he was a fresh face up against a top-ranked opponent, Lopes delivered an impressive performance, narrowly losing a decision in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors.

Following their initial bout, Lopes has been nearly unstoppable in the UFC, amassing a four-fight win streak. In contrast, Evloev has only competed once, securing a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen in January.

Only time will tell if this duo gets the chance to settle their score. However, Lopes has already laid down the gauntlet, expressing his desire to either fight with Ortega or challenge former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at the UFC’s highly anticipated event in September.

Continue Reading ’10-7 Diego Lopes’ – Fans React After Lopes & Movsar Evloev Trade Barbs Over UFC 303 Fight On X at MMA News.

UFC CEO Dana White busted betting on NFL games during ‘least fun fight anybody’s ever seen’

UFC CEO Dana White busted betting on NFL games during ‘least fun fight anybody’s ever seen’As undefeated Russian standout Movsar Evloev was bagging his 18th career win, UFC CEO Dana White was placing bets…

UFC CEO Dana White busted betting on NFL games during ‘least fun fight anybody’s ever seen’

As undefeated Russian standout Movsar Evloev was bagging his 18th career win, UFC CEO Dana White was placing bets on a football game.

Back in January, Evloev stepped inside the Octagon for a featherweight clash with Arnold Allen as part of the UFC 297 main card. Despite walking away with a decisive decision victory, Evloev left a lot to be desired with his performance, leading White to call it “the least fun fight anybody’s ever seen.”

Movsar Evloev vs. Arnold Allen

A truly remarkable statement coming from a man who once sat through Namajunas vs. Esparza 2.

While White’s criticism is not entirely off-base, it turns out the UFC bossman may not have actually seen most of the fight.

“Dana said that my last fight was not entertaining,” Evloev said on the Badaev Podcast. “Maybe he wanted to motivate me somehow or dampen my championship ambitions a little. Then we talked with [American Top Team owner] Dan Lambert after the fight. He said, ‘Movsar, I was sitting next to Dana White during your fight, and he was watching American Football.’ He had apparently placed a bet somewhere during my fight. I told Dana, ‘I’m not here to amuse you, I came here for the belt.’ I’ll take the belt, and then we’ll see” (h/t MMA Mania).

Evolev’s story is plausible considering White is a self-described “degenerate gambler” who once lost a whopping $3 million in a single night.

Dana White

Evloev has his sights on a uFC featherweight title eliminator with Aljamain sterling

Having won eight in a row under the UFC banner, Movsar Evloev is sitting comfortably as the promotion’s No. 5 ranked featherweight. No announcements have been made regarding the Russian’s next opponent, but a potential title eliminator with former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling appears to be in the cards.

The ‘Funk Master’ made his featherweight debut, delivering “the most dominant performance” of the night against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.

Aljamain Sterling

Top 5 featherweight contender accepts a fight with ex-champion Aljamain Sterling: ‘I like it’

Top 5 featherweight contender accepts a fight with ex-champion Aljamain Sterling: 'I like it'If Aljamain Sterling can’t bag a fight with Brian Ortega, he can still score a scrap with the featherweight…

Top 5 featherweight contender accepts a fight with ex-champion Aljamain Sterling: 'I like it'

If Aljamain Sterling can’t bag a fight with Brian Ortega, he can still score a scrap with the featherweight division’s No. 5 ranked contender.

The ‘Funk Master’ made his successful debut in the featherweight division at UFC 300, offering up what he believes was “the most dominant performance” of the landmark event against Calvin Kattar. The win thrust Sterling immediately into the division’s top 10, occupying the No. 8 spot.

Aljamain Sterling

Afterward, Sterling called for a fight with Ortega. However, if that doesn’t come to fruition, the former bantamweight champ thinks a showdown with undefeated Russian standout Movsar Evloev could be a “fun” one.

“I would rather the Ortega fight because I’m gunning for the belt, so if there’s a fight, and you’re giving me the option to pick, I’m going to pick the highest ranked guy,” Sterling said on The MMA Hour. “It’s not that the fight with Movsar wouldn’t be fun. I think two grapplers, the way we grapple, would have some very fun scrambles…I think when you have a style like mine and his, it could make for a fun fight, the same way Diego Lopes made it a fun fight” (h/t MMA Mania).

Unbeaten Featherweight Movsar Evloev Responds to the ‘Funk Master’

Responding to Sterling’s comment, Evloev commended the ex-champ’s bravery for seeking a fight against him — something few featherweight contenders are willing to do these days.

Evloev responds to Aljamain Sterling

“@funkmasterMMA brave for you to talk about me. I like it! Call UFC and fight me. I’m ready,” Evloev wrote on X.

Evloev is a picture-perfect 18-0 in his mixed martial arts career with eight of those victories coming under the UFC banner. His most notable W’s have come against Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, and most recently, Arnold Allen.

Movsar Evloev

Ali Abdelaziz Puts Movsar Evloev ‘On The Same Level’ As Khabib, Makhachev, Usman

Ali Abdelaziz didn’t hold back in his admiration for Movsar Evloev, even declaring him to be on par with several UFC icons. Evloev was supposed to square off against former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling on the UFC 307 main card, scheduled for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, on […]

Continue Reading Ali Abdelaziz Puts Movsar Evloev ‘On The Same Level’ As Khabib, Makhachev, Usman at MMA News.

Ali Abdelaziz didn’t hold back in his admiration for Movsar Evloev, even declaring him to be on par with several UFC icons.

Evloev was supposed to square off against former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling on the UFC 307 main card, scheduled for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, on Wednesday, “Funk Master” announced that he had sustained an elbow injury during training, forcing him to withdraw from the fight as he won’t be able to recover in time for the event.

The UFC has yet to officially confirm the cancellation, but Evloev has made it clear on social media that he’s been putting in the work for this fight. He’s even expressed his readiness to take on a short-notice opponent.

The 30-year-old Russian has been unstoppable since making his UFC debut in April 2019, where he announced his arrival with a commanding unanimous decision victory over SeungWoo Choi. Evloev has racked up eight consecutive victories inside the Octagon, all via decision. He has secured notable wins along the way, including victories over Dan Ige, Hakeem Dawodu, Diego Lopes, and, most recently, Arnold Allen at UFC 297 this past January.

Abdelaziz, who only began managing Evloev last month, is confident that the American Top Team standout has the potential to ascend to the same level of greatness as UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, and former welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman.

Abdelaziz Predicts Evloev Will Capture UFC Featherweight Gold By 2025

During a recent interview with TMZSports, Abdelaziz opened up about Evloev’s relatively sparse appearances in the Octagon. The Dominance MMA founder expressed his commitment to working closely with the UFC to ensure his new client stays more active.

He emphasized that if frequent competition is what it takes for Evloev to earn his shot at the title, he’s fully prepared to make that happen.

“I believe that he should fight again in December or January,” Abdelaziz said. “I want to keep him busy. It doesn’t matter—Khabib had to beat 10 guys to fight for the title, same with Islam and Kamaru. If this is the route the UFC wants, he needs to just smash everyone ahead of him and show why the UFC has no choice but to give him a title shot. And guess what? He’s willing to fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. But the key here is to keep him busy against anybody, and this is what’s gonna happen.”

Abdelaziz further added that he recently trained with Evloev and described him as one of the most dedicated fighters he’s ever encountered. The renowned MMA manager even likened the Russian’s work ethic to that of Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, and Usman.

“I had the pleasure to train with [Evloev], and he’s one of the strongest guys I’ve ever trained with. He’s dedicated—this guy sleeps at a certain time, eats specific food, and lives and breathes fighting. I truly believe that by 2025, Movsar is going to be the featherweight champion. I believe he’s a very hard puzzle to solve and very hard to beat. The abilities he has, the discipline he has, remind me of Khabib, Islam, and Kamaru. He’s on the same level—how these guys live, how they walk, how they talk, how they train.”

While Evloev undoubtedly possesses the skills to claim the 145-pound title in the near future with his wrestling-heavy approach, the road ahead is far from easy. A formidable lineup of dangerous contenders lies in wait, eager to challenge his ascent to the top.

Continue Reading Ali Abdelaziz Puts Movsar Evloev ‘On The Same Level’ As Khabib, Makhachev, Usman at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’

Aljamain Sterling may not hold any ill-will against his next opponent but he does have some serious accusations about him. At UFC 307, the former bantamweight champion will look to produce back-to-back wins since moving up to featherweight. In order to build on his UFC 300 victory over Calvin Kattar, he will need to hand […]

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’ at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling may not hold any ill-will against his next opponent but he does have some serious accusations about him.

At UFC 307, the former bantamweight champion will look to produce back-to-back wins since moving up to featherweight.

In order to build on his UFC 300 victory over Calvin Kattar, he will need to hand Movsar Evloev the first loss of his career.

The 18-0 Russian has clearly been one of the best in the division since his arrival in the UFC but in “Funkmaster”, faces a very tough test.

Sterling recently made some comments to suggest that all of Evloev’s accomplishments have been unfairly assisted during his career.

Aljamain Sterling Says He’s Heard Stories Of Movsar Evloev Being A Drug Cheat, Teaching Others His Methods

In a recent interview with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Sterling said that he believes that Evloev has been cheating at some stage in his career by using performance-enhancing drugs.

He said that he has his suspicions as to whether his upcoming opponent in Salt Lake City on October 5 is a clean athlete because of things that he has been told in the past.

Though he did make it very clear that he has no firm evidence of this, Sterling says that they have mutual friends that he used to train with, who are now a part of Evloev’s camp or were, at one point in time.

The former 135-pound king compared what he has heard to when Cody Garbrandt acted as a whistle-blower against his former teammate TJ Dillashaw and wasn’t taken seriously, only for the former champion to later test positive for EPO.

“I just think, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, he’s not a clean athlete and I think that’s just what it comes down to and people can say whatever, ‘You have no proof.’ I’m like dude, the same thing people were saying about TJ Dillashaw from years ago, him teaching people how to do it, Cody Garbrandt calling him out at the press conference and everyone sweeping it under the rug, telling TJ to his face that you taught everyone how to do it. Those conversations are not very different from what I’ve had about Movsar and I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

“Do I have any hard evidence like did I see the guy stick a needle up his a**? No. Did he pop for anything yet? No, maybe he never will but at the day, only him and his consciousness will know if he’s truly a clean athlete or not and I really so believe, I truly do believe he knows he’s cheating. It is what it is, I’m gonna fight him, I’ve fought multiple guys who’ve done stuff, whether or not they got caught.”

Read also: Alex Pereira Reiterates Plan For Middleweight Return Post-UFC 307, Magomed Ankalaev Reacts With Anger

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’ at MMA News.