UFC 333 title challenger Evloev dismisses women's MMA as 'so hard' to watch

Movsar Evloev, the unbeaten Russian featherweight set to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC title at UFC 333 on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, has publicly dismissed women’s MMA, telling MMA Junkie he finds it almost impossible to watch and suggesting the UFC should spin off a separate all-women promotion to gauge its real viewership.

“I don’t watch women’s fights,” Evloev said. “I can’t watch; it’s so hard. One fight I watched and liked was [Joanna] Jedrzejczyk and [Rose] Namajunas, the second one… I don’t watch a lot of fights, but all the fights I watched of women weren’t good. Maybe they need a separate UFC just for women. And we will see who watches that.”

The sole exception Evloev acknowledged was Rose Namajunas’ strawweight title defence against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 223 in 2018 — widely regarded as one of the finest women’s bouts in the promotion’s history. Beyond that contest, the 20-0 contender says he has found no other women’s fight worth his time.

Evloev is not the first high-profile male fighter to voice such views. Khabib Nurmagomedov has previously stated that women do not belong in MMA, though he carved out exceptions for pound-for-pound standouts Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko. Sean Strickland, who has expressed broader scepticism about women’s sport, has gone further, claiming an average man could defeat Nunes.

The comments arrive at a moment when Evloev himself is under scrutiny. Despite his perfect professional record, the 29-year-old has drawn criticism from fans and analysts for never finishing a fight inside the UFC octagon — an irony not lost on those who note he is questioning the entertainment value of others while his own bouts have rarely produced highlight-reel moments.

Evloev faces Volkanovski (28-4) in what is his first UFC title opportunity after years of steady wins failed to accelerate his climb up the featherweight rankings. The Abu Dhabi card on October 24 will be his chance to silence doubters on both counts.