TORONTO – Movsar Evloev isn’t sure if one more win will earn him a UFC title shot but thinks a finish should do the trick.
With perennial No. 1 contender Max Holloway on his way up to lightweight for a UFC 300 showdown with Justin Gaethje, Evloev (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) sees a decisive victory Saturday over Arnold Allen (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) at UFC 297 as a potential ticket to a championship fight vs. the winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria.
“I’m so excited because this fight can give me a big opportunity to be the next contender for the title,” Evloev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “… It depends, the way I can finish him, but yeah, I think I’m the next.”
There’s part of Evloev that’s focused on the title. Holloway’s divisional departure rids the path of one potential road block. However, there’s another part of Evloev that wishes “Blessed” stuck around.
“I think Max is a big legend in our division,” Evloev said. “Of course, my big dream is to fight with him. I hope he will come back from lightweight to featherweight. We’ll see, because he’s not so big and his cut is not so hard.”
As for who he could be fighting when a belt is on the line, Evloev said he predicts Volkanovski retains Feb. 17 at UFC 298 – even if he’d prefer Topuria.
“Maybe it will be better for me if (Ilia) wins,” Evloev said. “We have history. This fight makes sense to be. … Both guys are tough but my favorite is still the champ. … Let’s see after this next fight, (then) we’ll think about this.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
