5 possible opponents for Movsar Evloev following his latest win

This weekend, Movsar Evloev claimed the biggest win of his UFC career so far when he overtook top-ten featherweight contender Dan Ige.

Movsar Evloev is now set to break into the UFC top ten at featherweight. With many potential options, who should the Russian prospect face next?

Given his unbeaten octagon record and soaring reputation, it seems likely he’ll have a number of potential suitors for his next fight. This is especially so since he has yet to face off against the majority of the UFC’s featherweights.

With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for Evloev after his last win.

#5. Movsar Evloev vs. Bryce Mitchell

The only thing Movsar Evloev has struck so far in his UFC career is that his fights aren’t particularly exciting at times. In fact, Evloev has yet to defeat an opponent in the octagon, despite winning six fights in a row there.

With that in mind, one way to elicit an insane fight from the Russian might be to match him up with one of the division’s most dangerous grapplers – fellow undefeated Bryce Mitchell.

‘Thug Nasty’ broke himself into the featherweight top ten last March by overtaking Edson Barboza. While his finishing rate isn’t great, he’s clearly a very dangerous grappler, as he showed when he pulled off a rare twister to subdue Matt Sayles in 2019.

So far no one has really been able to test Evloev on the ground, nor have they really been able to stop his takedown or put him in a bad position. However, that could change in this anticipated fight.

The promotion’s matchmakers may want to avoid this fight just to ensure two undefeated prospects stay apart for now. But it can also be useful to pit them against each other to see who can climb the ladder first.

Overall, this would likely prove to be an exciting fight. It could well prove to be a major test of Evloev’s skills on the ground, especially as Mitchell would theoretically be able to both trip and subdue him.

#4. Movsar Evloev against Calvin Kattar or Josh Emmett

The UFC Fight Night Show on June 18 will be headlined by an exciting sounding featherweight bout between forwards Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett. With both men firmly established in the top ten, the winner will likely find themselves in the title fight.

However, with Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega all likely ahead of the duo in the gold medal race, a good fight for the winner could be held against Movsar Evloev.

Regardless of the winner, this would be an interesting fight for the Russian as either Emmett or Kattar would definitely present his toughest test yet. Both men have more octagon experience, have fought tougher opponents and have brutal knockout power.

More specifically, both Kattar and Emmett have shown solid takedown defenses in the past. That means there could be a fight with Evloev on the feet – presenting the Russian with a very tricky test of his quick wits.

Overall, this would be the perfect step up that Evloev is looking for right now. Given that Emmett and Kattar are meeting up in a few weeks, the timing might be good to meet them too.

#3. Movsar Evloev vs. Giga Chikadze

Before his loss to Calvin Kattar in January, Giga Chikadze was probably the UFC’s hottest featherweight contender. ‘Gladiator’ was on a nine-win streak, stopping Edson Barboza and Cub Swanson with brutal punches in the octagon.

Sure, his loss to Kattar was enough to take some of the shine off him, but he’s still 14-3 in the standings and remains in the top ten in the 145lb division at the moment.

So could the Georgian be a good fit for rising Movsar Evloev? Although the promotion tends to avoid fights where a winner of their last fight goes up against a loser of their fight, this one might have a purpose.

It would offer Chikadze a chance to rebound and confirm himself as a top prospect in the division. It would also offer Evloev a chance to claim that spot and step into the title fight himself.

Add to that it could prove to be a very exciting fight thanks to both men’s hyperactive style and this one could prove to be a great addition to a pay-per-view or fight night card in late 2022.

#2. Movsar Evloev vs. Chan Sung Jung

If Movsar Evloev is looking for a big step forward in the competition, he could be doing a lot worse than challenging former UFC featherweight title challenger Chan Sung Jung. ‘The Korean Zombie’ was last seen in a loss to current champion Alexander Volkanovski, but he’s still ranked 5th in the division.

Sure, there were a number of rumors that “The Korean Zombie” might consider hanging up his gloves after losing to Volkanovski. Nothing has been confirmed yet – suggesting he’s staying close.

So if Evloev secured a fight with him and found a way to beat him, that would elevate him straight into the title fight and essentially allow him to mostly skip the queue.

Of course, this would be an extremely tricky fight for the Russian. Not only does Jung have brutal knockout power and excellent technical punch, he’s also one of the most underrated grapplers in the division. He would be more than capable of catching Evloev in a submission.

Despite that risk, the rewards of defeating The Korean Zombie would be huge for a prospect like Evloev. If the UFC wants to give the Russian a step forward, they should consider this fight for late 2022.

#1. Movsar Evloev vs. Arnold Allen

If the UFC is willing to sacrifice one of their hottest up-and-coming featherweight talents in the name of an excellent fight, they could be pitting Movsar Evloev against rising British contender Arnold Allen in the near future.

Like Evloev, Allen is undefeated in the octagon. His last win came in March over Dan Hooker in impressive fashion. Previously, Almighty had defeated opponents such as Gilbert Melendez, Sodiq Yusuff, and Nik Lentz.

What would make this fight so intriguing is the clash of styles between the two men. An all-action type, especially on his feet, Evloev focuses primarily on volume hits to build his takedowns and ground control.

Allen, on the other hand, is much more of a technician. He fights behind his jab and tries to use that to build up his bigger combinations, like the one he put away Hooker with in their clash in London.

Right now, Allen is the higher-ranking of the two and sits at 6th at the featherweight division. This means he may be more focused on an opponent who is above him for his next fight. However, if the UFC could persuade him to have that fight with Evloev, perhaps in a Fight Night headliner, fans could be in for a treat.