Volkanovski is fresh off a successful featherweight title defense in a rematch against Diego Lopes at UFC 325. “The Great” scored another unanimous decision in front of a favorable crowd in Sydney. It was Volkanovski’s first successful title defense during his second reign as UFC featherweight champion.
Now that Saturday’s event is in the past, Volkanovski is looking to the future. He believes Evloev and Murphy are worthy title contenders. Volkanovski told reporters at UFC 325 presser after the fight that he’s looking for Evloev to win a potential showdown with Murphy.
“Lerone Murphy has good footwork,” Volkanovski said. “He can put up the right fight. I just think Movsar will get him in the end. He will get stronger. I think Movsar accepts that, but it would be an interesting fight. If anyone can come up with a good game plan to keep him on the outside and make things difficult for Movsar, Lerone can do that, but if I had to pick anyone it would probably be Movsar.”
Evoloev hasn’t fought since late 2024, when he defeated Aljamain Sterling in a competitive but unanimous decision victory. He missed all of 2025 and has yet to get a shot at a world title.
As for Murphy, he scored a knockout victory over Aaron Pico in August 2025. A match between Evloev and Murphy would make sense, as the two are undefeated and the winner would become the clear No. 1 contender for Volkanovski’s gold.
Volkanovski has said he would prefer if his next title defense was against Evloev or Murphy as they are the top contenders out there. He also denounced the idea of Arman Tsarukyan or Jean Silva breaking the line. Tsarukyan has teased a possible drop to 145 pounds.
Who would concede in a featherweight matchup between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy? Tell us in the comment section below.
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