Demetrious Johnson blasts unfinished business of 20-0 UFC title challenger Evloev

Demetrious Johnson has taken aim at Movsar Evloev’s lack of finishes in the UFC, questioning how the unbeaten Russian has kept his contract despite never stopping an opponent across 10 promotional appearances.

Evloev (20-0) is set to challenge Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) for the featherweight title at UFC 333 on 24 October at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The challenge prompted Johnson to sound off during a recent episode of the “Precision” podcast, which he co-hosts with Israel Adesanya, with Volkanovski appearing as a guest.

“[Evloev] is undefeated, 20-0, no finishes [in the UFC],” Johnson said. “How the fck is he still in the UFC? The UFC is so gung-ho about cutting people who aren’t exciting, no knockouts. They just got rid of MVP. He’s not knocking people out, but he’s doing some flashy sht in there. Movsar Evloev does know how to win. But no knockouts, not even a submission?”

Johnson pointed to the UFC’s recent release of Michael Page — who went 5-1 in the promotion without a finish — as evidence of the organisation’s intolerance for fighters it considers insufficiently entertaining. The former flyweight champion expressed particular disbelief that Evloev, widely regarded as a capable grappler, has not recorded a submission win inside the octagon.

While Evloev has finished seven of his 20 career victories overall, all of those stoppages came before his UFC run. His last finish of any kind dates back to 2018, meaning he has gone more than six years and ten UFC bouts relying entirely on decisions to build his perfect record.

The criticism adds an unusual dimension to the UFC 333 title fight. Evloev arrives as a legitimate unbeaten contender, yet his path to the championship has drawn scrutiny not just for how he wins, but for the manner in which he does so — a dynamic that Johnson, one of the most celebrated finishers in flyweight history, was clearly unwilling to let pass without comment.