Evloev vs Murphy recap: the London decision that sent Evloev to UFC 333

Movsar Evloev's title shot at UFC 333 was earned on 21 March 2026 at The O2 in London, where he beat Lerone Murphy by majority decision in a five-round main event between two unbeaten featherweights. One judge scored it a draw, and the scorecards were debated afterwards.

Murphy started sharper. He used footwork and counters to keep Evloev's grappling at bay in the first two rounds, landing stiff right hands, while Evloev showed spinning strikes he had added since his previous fight in December 2024. Evloev finished the third round strongly with a big overhand right, and TNT Sports later reported that Murphy's hip had popped out in that round.

Early in the fourth round, Evloev landed a second low blow and referee Marc Goddard took a point. In the fifth he kept chasing takedowns, according to UFC.com, but could not keep Murphy down for long.

Judges Ben Cartlidge and Derek Cleary scored it 48-46 for Evloev, while Clemens Werner had it 47-47, and TNT Sports pundits including Michael Bisping questioned the result. "I won all the rounds," Evloev said, as quoted by TNT Sports, while Murphy said he would be back.

The win took Evloev to 20-0 with his tenth straight UFC victory and set up the fight with Alexander Volkanovski at Etihad Arena on 24 October. It was Murphy's first professional defeat. His last Abu Dhabi appearance had been a win over Dan Ige at UFC 308 in October 2024.

UFC 333: Volkanovski vs EvloevSat 24 Oct · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See tickets

Source: Al Jazeera, TNT Sports, UFC.com, POST Wrestling: UFC 308 results