Movsar Evloev Vs. Lerone Murphy Breakdown
Featherweights Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy face off on Saturday at UFC London, knowing the winner moves closer to facing the champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Returning for the first time since his December 2024 victory over Aljamain Sterling, the Russian holds a perfect 9-0 UFC record with wins over Arnold Allen and Diego Lopes. Meanwhile, Murphy (17-0-1) is riding a massive wave of momentum following his 2025 “Knockout of the Year” contender—a spinning back elbow finish of Aaron Pico. Fighting at home in the UK, Murphy aims to extend his 10-fight winning streak.
Pre-Fight
“As I understand it, the UFC is trying to keep me as far away from anything title-related as possible,” Evloev told Kolos on MMA in a translated interview. I was at UFC 314. After the fight, I had the opportunity to talk to the UFC. They did not want this. When the (event) was over, we were walking out through the hallway.
“Volk was standing not far from me, talking to fans and staff, taking pictures. … I wanted to go up to him and congratulate him personally, ask him about the fight, but the security guys didn’t give me that opportunity and took me to the opposite side. This shows who the UFC wants to see in the fight for the belt,” Evloev said
The Approach
Against a dangerous striker like Murphy, expect Evloev to use high-volume punching—not necessarily to land a knockout, but to force Murphy to cover up, creating the opening to dive for a double-leg or clinch against the fence. Once he initiates the grappling, Evloev’s focus is on “backpacking” and heavy top pressure. Evloev must be wary of “entering the pocket” blindly. His game plan will likely involve constant forward pressure to keep Murphy on his heels, as a retreating striker has less power and fewer opportunities to set up complex combinations.
Tactically, Murphy will likely use his lead leg to throw heavy calf kicks early, aiming to compromise Evloev’s lead leg and hinder his “spring” for takedown attempts. By staying in the center of the Octagon, Murphy can utilize his superior speed to land “one-two” combinations and immediately pivot away, preventing the Russian from initiating a clinch.
Instead of accepting the bottom position or hunting for submissions, Murphy must prioritize getting back to his feet to reset the distance. If he can force Evloev into a prolonged kickboxing match, he can exploit his advantage in variety—mixing in knees as Evloev changes levels.
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