The UFC returns to London, England, for a Fight Night installment from the 02 Arena headlined by a pair of title-contending featherweights in Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy to likely determine the next challenger whenever UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski decides to make his return.
Rumors swirled last week that Evloev would be unable to make the walk to the Octagon, but were quickly debunked this past Saturday when the UFC Vegas 114 broadcast indicated otherwise in a promo package between fights.
The fight marks Evloev’s (19-0 MMA) return to the promotion for the first time since Dec. 2024, undergoing setbacks and potential communication breakdowns with the UFC regarding his status as a top contender.
Meeting with select on-site media this week, Evloev said he wants to move forward and prove to the UFC he’s a worthy contender for Volkanovski (28-4 MMA) should they be booked against each other.
Movsar Evloev Eyes Career-Defining Win in Enemy Territory
Dec 7, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Movsar Evloev (red gloves) fights Aljamain Streling (blue gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
“Maybe afterwards, after the fight, if somebody is interested, I can reveal a couple things I had to deal with,” Evloev told MMAJunkie. “But it wasn’t just important to get here; what was important was to get here and show that I’ve been preparing for this, and show that none of the things that got in the way affected my preparation or my level that I would like to show.”
To do so against someone of Murphy’s (17-0-1 MMA) caliber is easier said than done, though.
“I’m looking to give everything this Saturday, so I don’t know when I’ll be back in there,” Murphy told MMAJunkie. “But what I would say is regardless of the result, I want to fight active, I want to be active. After the [Aaron] Pico fight, I was screaming for a fight. I thought I was going to fight in December. I’ve been [sitting] out for like six, seven months. So, really and truly, at 34, you don’t really want to be taking them breaks, especially if you’re healthy. For me, I just want to be active.”
No matter how it’s broken down, both men clearly realize what is at stake: a life-changing career shift in the UFC with a win.
UFC London Full Card + Odds
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Despite the event being in London at a reasonable hour for the local fans of the UFC, the U.S. will be treated to an afternoon start on P+.
The event went from 14 fights to 13 due to a weight miss in the prelim opener, scrapping a women’s bantamweight bout between Luana Carolina and Melissa Mullins. Carolina missed the 135-pound limit by eight pounds during the early weigh-in.
Main card (Start time 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m PT, P+)Main Event: Movsar Evloev (-238) vs. Lerone Murphy (+195), featherweightCo-Main Event: Luke Riley (-192) vs. Michael Aswell Jr. (+160), featherweightMichael Page (-192) vs. Sam Patterson (+160), welterweightIwo Baraniewski (-625) vs. Austen Lane (+455), light heavyweightRoman Dolidze (+340) vs. Christian Leroy Duncan (-440), middleweightKurtis Campbell (-245) vs. Danny Silva (+200), featherweight
Odds are as of Friday afternoon via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Preliminary card (Start time 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT, P+)Featured Prelim: Mason Jones (-148) vs. Axel Sosa (+124), lightweightNathaniel Wood (+200) vs. Losene Keita (-245), featherweightMario Pinto (-900) vs. Felipe Franco (+600), heavyweightMantas Kondratavicius (-800) vs. Antonio Trocoli (+500), middleweightLouie Sutherland (+205) vs. Brando Pericic (-250), heavyweightShem Rock (-130) vs. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (+110), lightweightShanelle Dyer (-465) vs. Ravena Oliveira (+370), 116.5-pound catchweight
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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