Alexander Volkanovski has taken aim at UFC bogeyman Movsar Evloev, an Australian has called out the UFC heavyweight division, and Jon Jones … well, he’s ignited another feud with Dana White thanks to a failed $15 million White House card deal.
In what has proved something of a hectic UFC Sunday, Volkanovski has confirmed Russia’s undefeated Evloev must be next for him after the seemingly unstoppable UFC featherweight contender handed Lerone Murphy his first career loss in their London headliner.
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The declaration came as Aussie heavyweight Brandon Pericic also used the same 02 Arena event to continue his own hyped UFC start – scoring another brutal first round KO – while American superstar Jon Jones has lit up social media after explaining why he won’t be fighting on the White House card in June.
Only a month after defending his UFC featherweight crown against Diego Lopes, Volkanovski has declared himself ready to stop Evloev specifically — and the new era of Octagon wrasslin’ stars generally — after the popular Russian grappler took his undefeated run to a staggering 20 straight at UFC London.
“I won’t be held down,“ Volk declared on the broadcast immediately after the fight was done. “And there ain’t going to be nothing that someone who wants to wrestle can do about that.”
Volk added his preference would be a fight in either July or August.
The Australia’s announcement comes after Evloev, who is famed for his wrestling, surprisingly chose to stand against Murphy and largely punched his way to victory.
Despite starting slowly through the opening two rounds, Evloev poured it on through the final three, while also scoring several takedowns, to not only leave Murphy bleeding heavily around the left eye, but also take the win on the scorecards: 48-46, 48-46 and 47-47.
Even more impressively, the win came despite the 32-year-old being deducted a point in the fourth round — with referee Marc Goddard penalising the undefeated title challenger for what was a second illegal groin shot in as many rounds.
Speaking immediately afterwards, Volkanovski described the win as “impressive” before adding that he was ready to become the man who ends this new Octagon era of wrestling superstars.
“I want the guy who deserves it most and it’s pretty clear that’s Movsar,” Volk said.
“He’s had to take the long road.
“He’s done that. And that excites me.
“We’re also in this new era where we’ve got these heavy wrestlers and grapplers who are taking over. They’re quite dominant.
“We’ve got a few champions who wrestle, grapple and not many people know how to deal with that.
“But look at my fight with Islam [Makhachev]. Everyone thought I was going to be controlled. But look at how the fight that turned out to be.
“So that excites me.
“This is the new era and I want an undefeated guy with this style that everyone is struggling with. I’ll show you why I’ve been champion for so long.
“I’m not usually one to fight for legacy. But that’s a fight I feel, I need that.
“Undefeated, 20-and-zero, taking out all the guys.
“He’s taken out all the top guys. All of them.
“It’s quite clear.
“He didn’t get the knockout here, but you could see he was trying.
“But with me? Do whatever you think you can to win.
“I’m not being cocky. I just don’t think it’s going to be enough. And I don’t want any excuses after the fight.
“I won’t be held down. We know that. I’ll make it an exciting fight. I’ll be in your face, I’ll land hands. And there ain’t going to be nothing, that someone who wants to wrestle can do about that.”
While Evloev surprisingly chose to stand with Murphy through large chunks of this one, Volkanovski said he wanted the wrestler to go back to his natural game when they eventually compete for gold.
“I don’t want any excuses when we fight,” he continued. “I want him to try everything he can.
“I want him to try and take me down. Because I won’t let it happen.
“He will be forced to fight on the feet because of my takedown defence.
“That’s all respect.
“But I don’t want him, when I do get my hand raised, [saying] ‘I was trying to impress the fans’. I don’t want none of that.
“Don’t worry, no one is holding me down. I’ll be leaving it on the feet.”
Elsewhere at UFC London, Australia’s Brando Pericic continued his hyped rise in the UFC heavyweight division, earning a brutal first round finish against Englishman Louie Sutherland — then wonderfully offered to donate the $100,000 UFC bonus, should he win it, to one of his social media followers.
The Aussie also put the entire heavyweight division on notice, declaring: “I’m going to knock out every c*** in this division …”
All of this too, came on a morning where UFC superstar Jon Jones announced he’d wanted to continue his own heavyweight career against Alex Pereira on the upcoming White House card — but baulked at the $15 million purse offered to him.
While UFC boss Dana White stated recently Jones had never been in serious consideration for the blockbuster June event — due to past indiscretions – ‘Bones’ took to ‘X’ on Sunday to hit back at those claims.
Writing on social media, the American suggested he had been deep in negotiations with the UFC to compete on the upcoming White House card, however the promotion wouldn’t budge on its financial offer.
Jones also said his asking price was less than $30 million he was reportedly offered to fight UFC heavyweight champ Aspinall, before briefly going into retirement.
“Was ready, willing and physically able to step in,” Jones wrote on Twitter.
“I was willing to take substantially less than the Aspinall ask, but they wouldn’t budge one dollar over $15 [million]. I felt like our fight was worth more.”
Volkanovski, meanwhile, is ready to throw down.
The declaration comes only a day after the UFC champ posed up for photographs with Hollywood superstar Matt Damon at Rosehill Gardens, and later hilariously tagged the image on Instagram: “When Jason Statham & Matt Damon combine”.
Speaking immediately after the fight with Murphy, Evloev grinned: “I told you I’m the better striker than him. Joke.”
Still, he was convinced of the result.
“Look at his face, he’s damaged,” he said of Murphy. “I showed I don’t necessarily have to use my wrestling to get win.”
He also said he was ready for the champ, adding: “Yeah, Alex [has] mentioned my name last time and I’m accepting his challenge. UFC there is no excuses to let me fight for the title.”
Importantly, Volkanovski agrees.
“It was an interesting one,” Volkanovski the champ said afterwards of the fight. “I don’t think we expected Movsar to stand with Lerone.
“Whether he felt that was something he had to do to guarantee himself a title shot, I’m not too sure. But you could see he was a lot stronger when he wanted to take him down.
“But he also out did him on the feet. For me it was quite impressive.
“I was actually thinking towards the end could this be a draw.
“Which would put a spanner in the works.
“But I do think Evloev looked the better fighter.
“One thing I will touch on, I don’t think he wanted to push the wrestling.
“He wanted to stand up and maybe prove himself on the feet.
“Whether that was to prove it to himself, or maybe he felt forced … but I don’t want any excuses when we fight. I want him to try everything he can.”
Soon after he added of Evloev’s performance: “Maybe a little gun shy early.
“But he was able to bully him a little bit even on the feet. In front of him firing and Lerone having to shell up.
“I was impressed. He can do it all. His grappling and wrestling is obviously his strongest. He didn’t show too much of that but when he did he was successful.
“But he was happy to stay on the feet.”
Elsewhere on the UFC London card, Australia’s Pericic obliterated Sutherland within a round.
Dubbed The Balkan Bear, Pericic is considered one of the most exciting prospects in the UFC heavyweight division, and continued his undefeated Octagon start standing over a grounded Sutherland and landing massive punches to his head, before referee Marc Goddard dived in to call off the fight.
The Adelaide slugger then immediately asked the UFC to put him back into the cage when they return Down Under in May, and on a card that sees Jack Della Maddalena looking to bounce back from his welterweight title loss against Carlos Prates.
Pericic’s win continues a staggering run that now boasts four straight first round finishes, while also doubles as his second straight first round finish in the Octagon.
Speaking after his win inside the cage, Pericic told Michael Bisping: “He’s a tough fella, big fella and I knew he was going to come out hard.
“[But] the bigger the better, I’m going to knock out every c*** in this division. UFC Perth, I’m coming. Anyone in that top 10, top 15. Let’s go.”
Backstage, the Aussie then promised to donate his UFC bonus to a fan should he win it.
Starting the fight as favourite, Pericic survived an early Sutherland onslaught, and takedown attempts, before starting to land heavily, and eventually finishing under two minutes.