NEWARK, N.J. – Movsar Evloev had his work cut out for him Saturday in New Jersey.
Evloev (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), the biggest favorite on the card at UFC 288 in Newark, needed 15 minutes to outpoint featherweight promotional newcomer Diego Lopes (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who stepped in for Bryce Mitchell on just a few days’ notice – and put the unbeaten Evloev in some precarious positions with submission attempts throughout the fight.
“I was thinking, ‘I will finish this guy,'” Evloev said at his post-fight news conference. “Every second, I was working for that. But that kid was tough. He’s a tough opponent. He’s dangerous on the ground and he has heavy punches. It was a big risk for me.”