Undefeated Featherweight contender Movsar Evloev is not happy with Ilia Topuria’s refusal to look his way for the Spaniard’s first defence.
Since dethroning Alexander Volkanovski earlier this month the star of Topuria has grown exponentially and he has had plenty of media coverage asking him what and who he wants next. Immediately a rematch with Volkanovski is on the table because of the Australian’s stellar resume prior to the defeat, which is fair enough however the vicious manner of the loss has pushed that back to possibly later in the year or even in 2025.
Max Holloway is the next name on the list as he has beaten all other contenders in the division. He is matched up with Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April, a fight that many believe will leave Holloway out of action for some time. Now the destination is all but set for the Bernabeu after his appearance at the ground this weekend. The timeline seems to be an August defence for Topuria in Madrid. This is potentially too quick a turn around for Holloway but we will have to wait and see the result of UFC 300.
Movsar Evloev Stakes His Claim
At 18-0 Evloev believes he should be next in line for the unbeaten champion and comments on the call outs from Topuria since he won the belt. The downside for Evloev is even though he is unbeaten he is without a finish in the UFC after eight fights. Additionally, his last performance against Arnold Allen was a close decision win that had some controversy around illegal knees.
Unfortunately for Evloev, this weekend Brian Ortega produced an outstanding performance when he submitted Yair Rodriguez in the first round in a brilliant fight down in Mexico City. He now appears to be next in line for Topuria, especially after stating he is willing to go to Spain to be the first challenger for the homecoming of the king.
Who would you rather see in Topuria’s first defence, Evloev or Ortega?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images & Embed from Getty Images
