The undefeated pair are set to meet in the UFC London main event, with a title shot likely on the line for the winner.
After Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title defence at UFC 325, he wasted no time letting everyone know he wanted to stay active. He said as much immediately following his win, and he even outlined his preferred timeline for a return.
Coming off yet another impressive display, one that added further weight to his claim as one of the best ever at 145 pounds, it seems Volkanovski might not have to wait long before finding out who is next in line.
On Monday afternoon, the promotion confirmed that Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev will headline UFC London on 21 March, and the winner of that bout is likely to face ‘The Great’ next.
Lerone Murphy admits uncertainty over UFC London main event
Before his rematch with Lopes, Volkanovski had expressed interest in facing Murphy, especially after the Brit’s knockout of Aaron Pico, which Dana White named Performance of the Year.
Still, his next defence will likely be a new matchup for fans, even if it does not involve either of the headliners from UFC London.
And speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Murphy shared that he had not been told by the promotion that his bout with Evloev is officially a number one contender fight.
He said: “Seeing the way the division mapped out, it was obvious that they were gonna go with that fight.
“At this point, words are wind, innit?” Murphy said when he was asked whether he is guaranteed a title shot with a win.
“It’s like, the division’s forever changing and it’s a performance-based company, someone’s gotta go out there and put on a good fight, nothing’s concrete, that’s what I’m trying to say. But I hope so.”
This lack of clarity is surprising given Volkanovski has been vocal about wanting to face either Murphy or Evloev next, coupled with their standing in the rankings.
Who else might get a shot ahead of Murphy or Evloev?
Right now, it would be a major surprise if the winner of Murphy vs. Evloev did not end up with a title shot.
Still, given Evloev’s ties to the UFC hierarchy and his divisive fighting style, nothing is guaranteed.
Meanwhile, Jean Silva has put himself back into the conversation with a strong performance against Arnold Allen at UFC 324.
Recent trends have shown that popularity can outweigh pure merit, so it would not be shocking if Silva leapfrogged into the next title fight against Volkanovski.
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