logo
Manager: Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Movsar Evloev willing to take long road to UFC title

Manager: Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Movsar Evloev willing to take long road to UFC title

USA Today06-06-2025
Manager: Like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Movsar Evloev willing to take long road to UFC title
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Ali Abdelaziz says Movsar Evloev is happy to prove he's the rightful No. 1 contender – no matter how long it takes.
Despite being undefeated and 9-0 in the octagon, Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is not next in line for a title shot, which even surprised UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Evloev is rumored to welcome Bellator standout Aaron Pico to the UFC, but nothing has been confirmed.
Evloev's past three wins have come over former title challenger Diego Lopes, top contender Arnold Allen, and most recently former champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. Abdelaziz has had numerous clients who have had to go on almost double-digit win streaks before getting their title shot, and says Evloev embodies the same mentality.
"The UFC, half of them want him to get a title shot. The other half ... Anyway, if Movsar needs to get one more, he said Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did it, Islam (Makhachev) did it, Kamaru (Usman) did it, Belal (Muhammad) did it," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "If he has to get one more and be on a 10-fight win streak, he will do it.
"If he goes out there next fight and he wins – he doesn't have a fight officially yet – but he deserves to be fighting for the title. But at the end of the day, we'll follow the system. He said this: 'If I'm the best in the world, and if I lose before I get to the title, I'm not the best in the world.' This is the same thing Khabib told me, Islam told me, Kamaru told me. These guys (that) have the same mentality, they go a long way."
Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, Usman and Muhammad, all managed by Abdelaziz, became UFC champions. Makhachev currently is the UFC's lightweight titleholder.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New bill introduced into Congress would allow TKO to create UFC structure in boxing
New bill introduced into Congress would allow TKO to create UFC structure in boxing

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

New bill introduced into Congress would allow TKO to create UFC structure in boxing

Dana White's biggest play in boxing yet is starting to take shape. UFC CEO White, who founded TKO Boxing alongside Saudi Arabian boxing financier Turki Alalshikh and WWE President Nick Khan, will promote the Sept. 13 battle of pound-for-pound greats between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Terence "Bud" Crawford — but a move perhaps more important for TKO in the long run was presented in the United States Congress on Wednesday. A new bipartisan bill, the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, has been introduced by two members of Congress — Georgia Republication Brian Jack and Kansas Democrat (and former MMA fighter) Sharice Davids — to amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act. The bill would allow for the creation of alternative systems called Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs). At the present time, boxing operates within a four-belt system whereby boxers work their way up through the rankings of the sport's four major sanctioning bodies — the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF — until they can eventually fight for a world title with one of them. UBOs would not replace the current structure of boxing; it would instead create a separate, parallel system that runs alongside it, offering boxers the choice between the traditional sanctioning body model or the UBO model. UBOs would be allowed to run rankings systems, award UBO titles and organize events. In essence, promoters would be able to promote fights for titles and rankings, which they also control — a stark contrast to how the pugilistic art is currently run. The biggest benefactor of these changes is, without a doubt, TKO Boxing. With the bill's passing, TKO Boxing would be allowed to form a UBO of its own and operate a UFC-type "league" model within it. The sport of boxing has long been criticized for having too many belts, making it difficult for fans to be aware of who the best in the division is or what the universal rankings for those divisions actually look like. Furthermore, sanctioning bodies have a clear conflict of interest, as they charge a percentage fee for championship matches and therefore benefit from the most popular fighters being successful within their system, or from extra, unnecessary titles — such as regular, gold, and franchise titles — being created and used on a regular basis. UBOs, however, would not be allowed to charge boxers any fees for placement in the rankings or the right to participate in championship matches. Additionally, the bill sets to enact a national minimum payment for all professional boxers at $150 per round. While this appears insignificant, six states have minimums below $150, and most states have no minimum payments at all. This rule would help prevent up-and-coming fighters from being exploited, as it is common knowledge that fighters on club shows sometimes pay to fight or fight for no money. The legislation, if it passes, would also create a national minimum of $25,000 for coverage for injuries sustained during a fight, higher than current minimums in 43 states. UBO boxers would benefit from additional health and safety protections, including enhanced comprehensive medical exams, more licensed physicians and ambulance units present at each event, and health coverage for injuries sustained during training for a bout. UBOs would have comprehensive anti-doping testing programs and strict anti-betting policies. This legislation is endorsed by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Lonnie Ali, wife of the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

UFC Vancouver adds important flyweight bout: Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
UFC Vancouver adds important flyweight bout: Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

UFC Vancouver adds important flyweight bout: Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

An important women's flyweight bout is headed to Canada. Manon Fiorot and Jasmine Jasudavicius will square off in a three-round bout on the UFC FIght Night event Oct. 18 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) looks to bounce back after a failed title bid vs. Valentina Shevchenko in May. Fiorot went all five rounds with the flyweight champion but had her 12-fight winning streak snapped by unanimous decision. Fiorot holds UFC wins over Erin Blanchfield, Rose Namajunas and Mayra Bueno Silva, among others. Jasudavicius (14-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) steps into the biggest fight of her life on home soil. She enters the bout on a five-fight winning streak that includes victories over Priscila Cachoeira, Fatima Kline, Ariane Lipski da Silva, Mayra Bueno Silva, and Jessica Andrade. With the addition, the UFC Vancouver lineup includes:

Mailbag: Is Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane one big letdown after our hopes for a Jon Jones fight?
Mailbag: Is Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane one big letdown after our hopes for a Jon Jones fight?

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Mailbag: Is Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane one big letdown after our hopes for a Jon Jones fight?

Did Dustin Poirier let fans down in his final fight against Max Holloway at UFC 318? And how excited are we for Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane after expecting something much different? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma. @GabeDert: Holloway points down Dusty p doesn't get down And for the kind of fighter he was.. What the heck man How can we feel about that? I think we can understand. Can't we? Poirier told our own Ariel Helwani that part of it was feeling like he was falling behind the speedier Holloway in those exchanges, but also it was partly an impulse toward self-preservation. Yes, he wanted to win and go out on top with a BMF belt on his shoulder. But either way it was his last fight, and it might always only take one good punch to change your quality of life in retirement. I know fighters with plates and screws in their faces, nerve damage and cracked bones, stuff they still wince at when they roll out of bed. When you know it's the end regardless, how can you not think about how it's going to feel in the morning? At the same time, once you start thinking like that, it's probably time to go. Which, of course, is the same conclusion Poirier had already arrived at. @Beastin364: So it's really Tom v Gane for the heavyweight title next? I guess it makes sense and all but am I alone in being super disappointed? Nope, it's a letdown. UFC CEO Dana White spent much of the past six months assuring us, don't worry, he'd get a fight done between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. It was the only fight to make for the UFC heavyweight title. Turns out, nah, it was never really a possibility. Jones wanted none of it. After that, anything else (short of a Francis Ngannou return) was bound to feel like a disappointment. Aspinall vs. Gane is a fine fight. Just … fine. By the time we get there, we might even be excited for it. But it's hard to ignore that there were two monster fights on the horizon at the start of this year: Aspinall vs. Jones and Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. So far, the UFC has turned zero of them into realities. And that's a bummer, man. @lyingawakezzz: Do you think Jon Jones lies awake at night wishing he received the send off Dustin Poirier got? Not yet. I think right now he still thinks that sendoff might be forthcoming. He's unretired (kind of) and back in the testing pool (allegedly), remember? But I did see Khabib Nurmagomedov this week saying that there's a difference between achievement and legacy. When it comes to achievement in this sport, he noted, Jones is at the top. But legacy? That hazier question of how people see you and what they say about you and whether or not they'd want their kids to be like you some day? That's a different story. And with Jones, right now it really feels like the MMA world is sick of this guy and glad to be rid of him — for now. @jmprobus: The year is 2050. A 1/4 century has passed, the current UFC regime is gone and the future regime has taken over. What does the landscape of the UFC and MMA, as a whole, look like? I assume it's all slap-fighting robots on the desolate plains of New Texas. The real fighting will be done on a barge anchored in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Phoenix. And somehow Derrick Lewis will still be a draw there. @shonplant: Señor Ben no joke I'm going on a family trip to Montana this summer, any recommendations? We got a car and can drive anywhere in the state Everyone is going to tell you to head up and see Glacier National Park. Which, yeah, it's glorious. I do recommend it (though crowds in summer can be an issue). But one of my personal favorite drives is along Highway 200 from Missoula to Great Falls. You coast through Lincoln, where the Unabomber's cabin was, then along the majestic views of the Rocky Mountain front, and finally into the Montana city that's home to an Air Force base and a disturbing stockpile of nuclear missiles. Don't pay too much attention to that, though. Instead, go to the Sip & Dip Lounge to see the (literal) mermaids waving to you from behind the bar. Tell them I send my fondest regards.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store