Mokhsar Evloev fought back from a points deduction against undefeated Lerone Murphy to win in London.
Published March 22, 2026
Russia’s Movsar Evloev overcame a point deduction for a foul to earn a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy at UFC Fight Night 270 on Saturday at the O2 Arena, and looks set to earn his ticket to a title fight against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovskiy in his next bout.
The bout was an interesting clash of different styles as the two fighters put their undefeated records on the line to determine who would face 37-year-old Australian Volkanovski for the belt.
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Evloev, known for his wrestling, tried to show off his striking, but Murphy showed great defense on the ground.
Murphy used a well-chosen hard right hand to fend off his Russian opponent’s terrifying grappling attacks and keep him at bay in the first two rounds of the five-round bout. Evloev took the opportunity to show off the dangerous spinning blows he has added to his repertoire since his last match in December 2024.
Evloev was finally able to take the fight to the mat early in the third round, but Murphy quickly got back to his feet and followed with a spinning back kick of his own.
But it was his opponent who finished the frame the hardest with a big overhand right, followed by a flurry of strikes.
A second kick to Murphy’s groin at the start of the fourth round derailed his momentum a bit and referee Mark Goddard deducted a point from Evloev for a foul.
Knowing that point deductions could be decisive if the fight were left to the judges’ scorecards, Evloev ramped up his energy-draining grappling attacks in the fifth and final frame in an attempt to finish, but once again Murphy was able to get back to his feet with relative ease.
There was no threat of bringing his opponent to his knees on the ground, but it proved to be enough for the 32-year-old Evloev, with two judges ruling the fight 48-46 in Evloev’s favor, while the third judge ruled it a draw, 47-47, after taking into account deductions.
