Movsar Evloev invites Arman Tsarukyan to featherweight ahead of Volkanovski fight
The unbeaten Evloev, 20-0, challenges Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title in Saturday's UFC 333 main event, and said he would fight the lightweight contender at 145lb if the UFC wanted it.
Movsar Evloev has told Arman Tsarukyan he is welcome to drop to featherweight, saying he would face the lightweight contender if he takes the 145lb title from Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333.
Evloev was asked at media day whether a future fight with Tsarukyan interested him. He said: “If Arman wants to come down to featherweight, like I said, it’s my territory.” He added that he had no preference over whether a challenger came down or moved up, and said: “Make 145 and we’ll fight, if the UFC wants that fight, of course.” Tsarukyan is waiting for his next assignment and hopes it will be a shot at 155lb champion Justin Gaethje. He has previously teased a move down to featherweight.
Evloev first has to get past Volkanovski in Saturday's main event. The Russian is unbeaten in 20 professional fights, 10 of them in the UFC, and earned his title shot with wins over Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes and Dan Ige. The victory over Murphy was his most recent.
Volkanovski is 18-1 at featherweight across a 14-year career, a run that includes three wins over Max Holloway and one over Jose Aldo, and he is often named alongside both men in debates over the best featherweight in history. Ilia Topuria is the only featherweight to have beaten him.
Evloev would join Topuria with a win, but he said taking the belt would not settle his place among the division's greats. He said: “I think that me taking the belt now won’t make me the best featherweight, because it’ll be the beginning of me becoming one of the best featherweights, and even two title defenses won’t be enough.” He added that his standing would also depend on who he defended the title against.
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