Movsar Evloev thanks Alexander Volkanovski for pushing to fight him but teases return in non-title bout

It looks like Movsar Evloev is going to need at least one more win before getting a title shot.

The undefeated Russian, who most recently dispatched Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 this past December, took to social media on Thursday to thank reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski for pushing to fight him even if the matchup isn’t actually happening. Volkanovski said after reclaiming the 145-pound belt that facing Evloev would be good for his “legacy” but it appears the UFC had other ideas.

“Alexander Volkanovski, thank you champ for trying to fight me,” Evloev wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “I will fight in July and you fight in September, hopefully we both win and we can meet in December.”

Evloev has been consistently calling for a title shot for the better part of the past year, especially after Diego Lopes was granted the opportunity to face Volkanovski to crown a new featherweight champion following Ilia Topuria’s exodus from the division.

Evloev defeated Lopes back in 2023 in a Fight of the Night performance and he’s picked up two more wins since then to move his overall record to 19-0

Still, he’s not getting the next crack at the champion with Evloev revealing plans to compete at the UFC’s upcoming return to Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled for July 26 at Etihad Arena.

“If you are a UFC fighter and believe you are the best in the world then you have fight every fight they throw at you, no risk no reward,” Evloev said. “See you guys in July, it’s ON.”

As of yet, the UFC hasn’t officially announced any fight for Evloev, although sources told MMA Fighting on Thursday that is the targeted date for his return.

Evloev was previously linked to a potential fight against former Bellator fighter Aaron Pico, who recently signed with the UFC as a free agent, but there’s no word if that’s the matchup being booked.

For now judging by Evloev’s posts on social media, he’s resigned to the fact that he’s going to have to get at least one more win before getting a title shot while Volkanovski is apparently preparing for a new challenge as well when he returns to action later this year.