Speaking on his podcast The Fighter vs. The Writer recently, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown said of Movsar Evloev’s prospects of getting a featherweight title shot:

“Unfortunately for a guy like Movsar, you have to be a real fan to even know who he is, [much less] that he’s on a streak and that he could threaten a [champion]. The fact is, most guys don’t know his name. You go to a bar and mention Movsar Evloev, no one’s going to know who the hell you’re talking about.”

This came just days after Evloev was reported to have accepted a five-round co-headliner against debuting Bellator alum Aaron Pico in Abu Dhabi next month. One can only wonder why he is not fighting Alexander Volkanovski next, even though the two-time champion wants the fight himself.

Not Exciting Enough?

When glancing at Evloev’s current record for the first time, one may assume that he is mythical. Winning 19 straight fights to begin a career is hard to do after all, and his resume even includes a bantamweight title reign in M-1.

But within that record is a factoid that may turn off the average fight fan who craves excitement: only seven finishes, none of them in the Octagon. In a period that prioritizes sellability, finishing most (if not all) of one’s fights is paramount to attracting new fans. And Evloev has admittedly not been one to stir excitement, instead preferring to methodically outwork opponents throughout multiple rounds.

Such a fighting style may not be the only thing holding him back, however…

Nationality and Timing

Instead of Evloev, the man who is getting the next crack at the title is Yair Rodriguez.

Many fans have revolted at that matchup for one key reason: “El Pantera” is just 1-2 in his last three fights. One of those losses was against Volkanovski in a unification bout in 2022; and he was routed in that fight, losing by third-round TKO. And his only win in that stretch was against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, a 37-year-old former Bellator champion making his promotional debut.

One thing that Rodriguez has going for him, however, is that he is Mexican. And with the UFC needing a local star for Noche UFC this September, the circumstances have aligned for him.

Nevertheless, the promotion could still have fulfilled that need without passing over a worthy contender. A popular suggestion for Rodriguez’s next opponent is Diego Lopes, with whom he exchanged trash talk during the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference.

That rivalry deserves to be settled in the cage, and it is a shame that Dana White has failed to capitalize on that momentum.

End Of My Movsar Evloev Rant

Evloev’s purported next opponent Pico is a good fighter – an Olympic-caliber wrestler who also possesses potent hands. In fact, nine of his 13 career wins have come by knockout, including his last two.

One can only imagine what Dana White was telling himself when he booked the fight, however. He probably does not want another “Caucasian grinder” like Evloev as champion lest a reign hurt the UFC’s position during media negotiations, with the ESPN deal expiring soon.

To White, a Pico win will be a great outcome for him. A “boring” contender is replaced by a more exciting one – and most crucially, one who can speak English, improving the UFC’s appeal to most of its audience. But if Pico loses? It does not just strengthen the notion that “outsiders” are inferior; it also eliminates a marketable presence, potentially costing the promotion millions in future PPV revenue.

Evloev, however, probably does not care about PPV buys. He just wants to be a champion. Thus, it will be on him to win convincingly and make himself and his case irresistible – even if White does not like it.