Movsar Evloev is currently regarded as one of the biggest rising stars in the featherweight division. The Russian fighter did not disappoint tonight, as he defeated Diego Lopes, who stepped in on short notice.
At the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Movsar and Lopez fought in the rescheduled featherweight match of UFC 288’s main card, which was headlined by a title fight between Henry Cejudo, a former flyweight and bantamweight champion, and Aljamain Sterling, the current bantamweight champion.
A round of applause for Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes đ #UFC288
Full recap: https://t.co/TJ3qnq7cB2 pic.twitter.com/EvzB082Onn
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 7, 2023
How did Movsar Evloev defeat Diego Lopes tonight?
Initially, Evloev and Bryce Mitchell were supposed to square off in tonight’s featherweight battle. Diego was then called out in the eleventh hour to fight the unbeaten Russian fighter after Thug Nasty withdrew from the contest due to an unexpected injury.
Diego’s lack of preparation wasn’t quite visible throughout the fight. Lopes had some moments to remember from this fight but nothing was enough to beat the Russian superstar. The Brazilian fighter’s jiu-jitsu skills quite a few times put Evloev in a critical situation.
In the end, Movsar won by unanimous decision as the judges scored 29-28,29-28, 30-27 in his favor. It’s the first fight of the year for the 28-year-old fighter and his first octagon appearance in ten months. However, the former M-1 bantamweight champion still seems as strong as he used to be.
Movsar Evloev stays undefeated
via unanimous decision pic.twitter.com/UnhQnurWg5— MMA Mania (@mmamania) May 7, 2023
Movsar put on a decent show, winning decisively to continue his winning streak. The Russian is a tremendous grappler, an excellent puncher, and a great wrestler, as Dana White previously stated. Movsar continued to demonstrate that his game doesn’t have many weak points and he can potentially become a featherweight legend in the future.
After joining Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2019, the Russian fighter has fought in seven bouts so far and won all of his fights. All though none of the wins came via TKO/ KO, six out of seven wins came as a unanimous decision win.
Iâm not happy with the way I won, but AlhamduLLAH itâs another victory. Only 6 month after full acl surgery Iâm back on short notice after Ramadan! Thanks to everyone who I made happy with this win!
— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) May 7, 2023
Who should Movsar Evloev go up against next? Do you believe that the Russian will eventually be able to claim the featherweight title? Let us know what you think in the comments area.
