Movsar Evloev is ready to change his game plan just to secure a UFC title shot.
The undefeated featherweight contender was left out of the equation when Ilia Topuria vacated his UFC featherweight title. Instead, the promotion matched up former champ Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the vacant belt at UFC 314, which Volkanovski won by unanimous decision to reclaim the title earlier this month.
Now Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is chomping at the bit for his shot. He acknowledges that all his UFC wins going the distance is perhaps the main reason why he was overlooked but is willing to show a different side to his game.
“I can promise them that I’m not going to take down anyone if they give me a title shot,” Evloev said on the “Overdogs Podcast.” “I’m not going to go there first. If they try to take me down, OK, I’ll accept this. But, I’m not going to go first. I’ll just go straight striking. So let’s see.”
Evloev, who’s coming off a win over former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310, is confident he can beat Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) wherever the fight goes.
“I will just push him to the wall,” Evloev said. “So, don’t let him run from me, don’t let him move. Then he has to (start) exchanging with me. He will tire, or I’ll break him because I know that I have bigger power, better wrestling, and I can control this guy five rounds or finish on the ground.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC’s Movsar Evloev vows to make big change if granted title shot
Movsar Evloev is ready to change his game plan just to secure a UFC title shot.
The undefeated featherweight contender was left out of the equation when Ilia Topuria vacated his UFC featherweight title. Instead, the promotion matched up former champ Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the vacant belt at UFC 314, which Volkanovski won by unanimous decision to reclaim the title earlier this month.
Now Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is chomping at the bit for his shot. He acknowledges that all his UFC wins going the distance is perhaps the main reason why he was overlooked but is willing to show a different side to his game.
“I can promise them that I’m not going to take down anyone if they give me a title shot,” Evloev said on the “Overdogs Podcast.” “I’m not going to go there first. If they try to take me down, OK, I’ll accept this. But, I’m not going to go first. I’ll just go straight striking. So let’s see.”
Evloev, who’s coming off a win over former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310, is confident he can beat Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) wherever the fight goes.
“I will just push him to the wall,” Evloev said. “So, don’t let him run from me, don’t let him move. Then he has to (start) exchanging with me. He will tire, or I’ll break him because I know that I have bigger power, better wrestling, and I can control this guy five rounds or finish on the ground.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC’s Movsar Evloev vows to make big change if granted title shot
