Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy have both maintained their unbeaten records, though each has taken a very different approach to get there.
After some travel issues, Evloev finally arrived in London. Both fighters made weight on Friday morning, confirming Saturday’s main event.
This time around, the stakes are much higher than when they last shared a training mat. This isn’t just about preparation anymore; it’s about taking a step closer to a title shot.
The head-to-head record tells an interesting story. The pair have trained together before, and according to Murphy’s coach, Kieran Keddle, the sessions were quite even. But Evloev disagrees, saying he came out ahead every time.
Murphy is known for his knockout power—his last three wins have all come by stoppage within two rounds. Evloev hasn’t finished an opponent since 2018 but remains unbeaten thanks to his grappling skills and ability to control fights over the full distance.
Evloev’s journey to this point hasn’t been smooth either. He lost his original opponent and then faced further setbacks when his replacement pulled out due to visa issues. Now back in England after some travel headaches of his own, he’ll need to be fully focused against a highly motivated challenger like Murphy.
Why Murphy could have a hard time stopping Evloev’s wrestling
Evloev may not have the highest takedown success rate at 48%, but he still manages to land nearly five attempts per fight, according to UFC Stats.
His wrestling has been the foundation of his success in the Octagon so far, and just looking at the numbers, Murphy hasn’t exactly shown himself to be a brick wall against it.
Before he put Aaron Pico away with that highlight-reel knockout last August, he had already been taken down twice, dropping his overall defence rate to just 51%.
The numbers themselves aren’t especially alarming, but it’s worth noting that fighters like Gabriel Santos and Makwan Amirkhani both managed to land five takedowns each against ‘The Miracle’.
It’s something fans at The O2 will be keeping an eye on. No one wants to see Murphy stuck on his back for 25 minutes straight.
Still, despite what the stats say about his takedown defence, Murphy has found ways to win. He’s riding a ten-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC, and there’s a stat that highlights exactly how he pulls it off.
Lerone Murphy has never lost a round past the first inside the octagon
Movsar Evloev is clearly an elite featherweight, but being the only fighter in UFC history to go 9-0 with no finishes in their first run has held him back.
If Evloev is going to win at UFC London, it will likely come by decision, meaning he’ll need to repeatedly get Murphy down and keep him there throughout five rounds.
‘The Miracle’ might have to go through some frustrating rounds, but one thing on his side is that he’s never lost round 2, 3, 4, or 5 of any of his UFC fights on two of the three scorecards.
Whether overcoming a tough start against Dan Ige or dominating Edson Barboza from start to finish, Murphy’s style means he doesn’t fade as fights go on.
It seems unlikely that Evloev will stop Murphy, and that could give the Russian issues late on, especially if he’s had to expend a lot of energy to win the early rounds.
The Brit might not have a track record for stopping opponents late, but this doesn’t appear to be a matchup where he needs an early finish or risks getting shut out either.
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