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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at UFC Fight Night 270's main event between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy.
Staple info:
Supplemental info:
Staple info:
Supplemental info:
The main event in London features a title eliminator bout between two undefeated featherweights in Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy.
Despite the UFC matchmakers’ best efforts to bury lighter-weight talents on preliminary cards, Murphy appears to have made himself undeniable with the skills he has demonstrated in his accumulation of wins.
A well-coached fighter who looks to be a natural when it comes to striking, Murphy comports himself comfortably from both stances on the feet. Whether Murphy’s launching left-sided power strikes from a southpaw stance or is trying to set up his patented calf kick from an orthodox stance, the English fighter is seamless when switching sides.
Not only can Murphy vary the looks and levels of his jab, but the 34-year-old also displays solid instincts when it comes to his leg kick defense and counters. That said, Murphy has shown that he is not beyond being caught while kicking himself, which makes me wonder if the Englishman will shelve any of his offense opposite someone who can counter kicks like Evloev.
Even though Evloev comes from a Greco-Roman wrestling base, the 32-year-old phenom comports himself like a Russian version of Frankie Edgar on the feet.
Working off a similar bounce to his step, Evloev has steadily improved his boxing fundamentals over the years. Whether he’s poking and prodding off of his lead side or putting together combinations off of the counter, Evloev does well when it comes to moving his head offline with his punches (something that seems smartly hardwired into his style).
Not only does doing things like rolling your head off crosses make you harder to counter, but the head movement also helps disguise the level-changing threats that are baked into Evloev’s game.
Considering the crux of Evloev’s game, winning the wrestling will be crucial for both parties this weekend.
Defensively, Murphy is more competent than meets the eye. Although Murphy’s first-layer takedown defense leaves a bit to be desired as far as reaction times go, the English fighter is a strong scrambler who does well when it comes to fighting grips and using the fence to assist his standups.
Offensively, Murphy is no stranger to closed-quarter combat and has shown a semi-surprising willingness to tie up with opposition throughout a fight.
Although Murphy does have a decent reactionary double-leg that he’ll dust off on occasion, the 10-year pro primarily looks to get things done from the clinch. Whether Murphy is muscling his man over from the bodylock or looking to change levels along the fence, the Englishman seems strong from this space and works well off over-unders.
That said, working from any variation in the clinch could be problematic when you’re facing a fighter with Greco-Roman experience like Evloev.
Coming from a wrestling style reliant on upper-body attacks and perfect positional reads, Evloev has a clear knack for navigating clinch spaces. And when Evloev feels even an inkling of weight or positional displacement on his opponent's hips, the Russian will make immediate hay in the form of tosses, reversals and mat returns.
Evloev, who has smartly not relied on his Greco base, has also shown himself to be capable of executing more traditional takedowns and has the transitional chops to hold his own in more folk-style scrambles. Moving shop to American Top Team, Evloev demonstrates growth in all areas – including his submission offense and defense.
Evloev is relentless when it comes to working to and from strong riding positions, but his lack of finishes makes me question both his checkmate ability and his approach against a seemingly unbreakable opponent in Murphy.
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Evloev -260 and Murphy +196 via FanDuel.
Although I’m not surprised to see Evloev favored to win from a betting perspective, I warn anyone discounting Murphy as an underdog.
A lot of Murphy’s fights have come down to his opportunistic sensibilities and dynamism, but the Englishman does not lack in process and is dangerous in basically every phase of the fight. Furthermore, I think that Murphy’s chances to win will increase anytime the 34-year-old elects to fight from southpaw.
Evloev may also shift to southpaw when either setting up his shots or darting off of his crosses to get out of danger, but the 12-year pro otherwise conducts himself as a classic wrestle-boxing archetype out of orthodox. And if Murphy can get a read on Evloev’s dips and entries, then perhaps he can replicate his finishes of the past by connecting with anything from knees to high kicks on what are traditionally open lanes in this sort of stylistic open-stance affair.
The potential problem, however, is that if Murphy can’t make hay in these small windows of opportunity, then both his preferred cage positioning and trends in his first-layer takedown defense will likely bode badly against Evloev.
Even if Murphy and his team smartly come in with the goal of maintaining the center of the cage, Evloev is a tough fighter to pin down and does a decent job himself, whether it be through footwork or turning his opponent in clinches, of taking back the center position in fights (as I suspect that Murphy’s own propensity to tie-up will likely play into this cycle).
I'm sure Murphy will have answers for a decent amount of his opposition's tactics, but Evloev's brand of relentless chain wrestling will likely put the Englishman one step behind – if not outright lost in the sauce. Add in the fact that Evloev is a consistently strong round closer while Murphy has arguably been saved by the bell in multiple UFC rounds, and I can’t help but side with the Russian fighter in this spot.
Evloev’s trend of grinding contests out will give some quiet value to the underdog in a fight that I deem dog or pass from a betting perspective, but the official pick is Evloev to make himself undeniable for a title shot by earning a competitive but clear decision win on the judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: Evloev by decision
As the main event, Evloev and Murphy are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 6:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy pick, odds, time: UFC London
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Movsar Evloev UFC Fight Night 270 preview
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Staple info:
- Record: 19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC
- Height: 5'7" Age: 32 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 72.5"
- Last fight: Decision win over Aljamain Sterling (Dec. 7, 2024)
- Camp: American Top Team (Florida)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Excellent
Supplemental info:
- + M-1 bantamweight title
- + Greco-Roman wrestling base
- + 3 KO victories
- + 4 submission wins
- + 2 first-round finishes
- + Consistent pace and pressure
- ^ Good cardio and conditioning
- + Improved boxing ability
- ^ Solid head movement off punches
- + Strong inside the clinch
- + Excellent takedowns/chain wrestling
- ^ In the open or against the fence
- + Superb scrambles and transitions
- + Works well to and from riding positions
- + Consistently closes rounds strong
Lerone Murphy UFC Fight Night 270 preview
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Staple info:
- Record: 17-0-1 MMA, 9-0-1 UFC
- Height: 5'10" Age: 34 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 73.5"
- Last fight: Knockout win over Aaron Pico (Aug. 16, 2025)
- Camp: Manchester Top Team (England)
- Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/muay Thai
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
- + Regional MMA title
- + Amateur MMA accolades
- + Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
- + 8 KO victories
- + 9 first-round finishes
- + Knockout power
- + Solid feints and footwork
- ^ Strikes well from both stances
- + Hard calf kicks
- + Strong inside the clinch
- ^ Works well off over-unders
- + Serviceable takedown ability
- ^ Favors attempts along the fence
- + Solid scrambling and transitional grappling
- + Good ground-and-pound
Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy breakdown: Featherweight perfection
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The main event in London features a title eliminator bout between two undefeated featherweights in Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy.
Despite the UFC matchmakers’ best efforts to bury lighter-weight talents on preliminary cards, Murphy appears to have made himself undeniable with the skills he has demonstrated in his accumulation of wins.
A well-coached fighter who looks to be a natural when it comes to striking, Murphy comports himself comfortably from both stances on the feet. Whether Murphy’s launching left-sided power strikes from a southpaw stance or is trying to set up his patented calf kick from an orthodox stance, the English fighter is seamless when switching sides.
Not only can Murphy vary the looks and levels of his jab, but the 34-year-old also displays solid instincts when it comes to his leg kick defense and counters. That said, Murphy has shown that he is not beyond being caught while kicking himself, which makes me wonder if the Englishman will shelve any of his offense opposite someone who can counter kicks like Evloev.
Even though Evloev comes from a Greco-Roman wrestling base, the 32-year-old phenom comports himself like a Russian version of Frankie Edgar on the feet.
Working off a similar bounce to his step, Evloev has steadily improved his boxing fundamentals over the years. Whether he’s poking and prodding off of his lead side or putting together combinations off of the counter, Evloev does well when it comes to moving his head offline with his punches (something that seems smartly hardwired into his style).
Not only does doing things like rolling your head off crosses make you harder to counter, but the head movement also helps disguise the level-changing threats that are baked into Evloev’s game.
Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy point of interest: Wrestler's wrath
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Considering the crux of Evloev’s game, winning the wrestling will be crucial for both parties this weekend.
Defensively, Murphy is more competent than meets the eye. Although Murphy’s first-layer takedown defense leaves a bit to be desired as far as reaction times go, the English fighter is a strong scrambler who does well when it comes to fighting grips and using the fence to assist his standups.
Offensively, Murphy is no stranger to closed-quarter combat and has shown a semi-surprising willingness to tie up with opposition throughout a fight.
Although Murphy does have a decent reactionary double-leg that he’ll dust off on occasion, the 10-year pro primarily looks to get things done from the clinch. Whether Murphy is muscling his man over from the bodylock or looking to change levels along the fence, the Englishman seems strong from this space and works well off over-unders.
That said, working from any variation in the clinch could be problematic when you’re facing a fighter with Greco-Roman experience like Evloev.
Coming from a wrestling style reliant on upper-body attacks and perfect positional reads, Evloev has a clear knack for navigating clinch spaces. And when Evloev feels even an inkling of weight or positional displacement on his opponent's hips, the Russian will make immediate hay in the form of tosses, reversals and mat returns.
Evloev, who has smartly not relied on his Greco base, has also shown himself to be capable of executing more traditional takedowns and has the transitional chops to hold his own in more folk-style scrambles. Moving shop to American Top Team, Evloev demonstrates growth in all areas – including his submission offense and defense.
Evloev is relentless when it comes to working to and from strong riding positions, but his lack of finishes makes me question both his checkmate ability and his approach against a seemingly unbreakable opponent in Murphy.
Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Evloev -260 and Murphy +196 via FanDuel.
Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy prediction, pick
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Although I’m not surprised to see Evloev favored to win from a betting perspective, I warn anyone discounting Murphy as an underdog.
A lot of Murphy’s fights have come down to his opportunistic sensibilities and dynamism, but the Englishman does not lack in process and is dangerous in basically every phase of the fight. Furthermore, I think that Murphy’s chances to win will increase anytime the 34-year-old elects to fight from southpaw.
Evloev may also shift to southpaw when either setting up his shots or darting off of his crosses to get out of danger, but the 12-year pro otherwise conducts himself as a classic wrestle-boxing archetype out of orthodox. And if Murphy can get a read on Evloev’s dips and entries, then perhaps he can replicate his finishes of the past by connecting with anything from knees to high kicks on what are traditionally open lanes in this sort of stylistic open-stance affair.
The potential problem, however, is that if Murphy can’t make hay in these small windows of opportunity, then both his preferred cage positioning and trends in his first-layer takedown defense will likely bode badly against Evloev.
Even if Murphy and his team smartly come in with the goal of maintaining the center of the cage, Evloev is a tough fighter to pin down and does a decent job himself, whether it be through footwork or turning his opponent in clinches, of taking back the center position in fights (as I suspect that Murphy’s own propensity to tie-up will likely play into this cycle).
I'm sure Murphy will have answers for a decent amount of his opposition's tactics, but Evloev's brand of relentless chain wrestling will likely put the Englishman one step behind – if not outright lost in the sauce. Add in the fact that Evloev is a consistently strong round closer while Murphy has arguably been saved by the bell in multiple UFC rounds, and I can’t help but side with the Russian fighter in this spot.
Evloev’s trend of grinding contests out will give some quiet value to the underdog in a fight that I deem dog or pass from a betting perspective, but the official pick is Evloev to make himself undeniable for a title shot by earning a competitive but clear decision win on the judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: Evloev by decision
Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy start time, how to watch
As the main event, Evloev and Murphy are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 6:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy pick, odds, time: UFC London
Continue reading...
