Undefeated Evloev signals UFC featherweight title shot is coming this summer

Movsar Evloev appears to have secured a UFC featherweight title shot, with the undefeated Russian signalling on social media that he will return to action before the end of summer 2026. Evloev, who stands at 20-0, posted a brief but pointed message — “I am back, end of the summer, and new Inshallah” — that strongly implies a championship bout is in the pipeline.

The 30-year-old has been one of the most discussed cases of title-shot injustice in recent UFC history. Even Alexander Volkanovski acknowledged Evloev as the most deserving contender when “The Great” reclaimed the featherweight belt by defeating Diego Lopes last year. Yet Evloev was passed over again when Lopes was granted a rematch with Volkanovski this past January — a fight Lopes lost for the second time.

Evloev’s frustration has been compounded by the fact that he had already beaten Lopes, who gave him a stern test on short notice in 2023, before the Brazilian was elevated ahead of him in the title queue.

Most recently, Evloev reinforced his credentials at UFC London in March, edging Lerone Murphy — another undefeated contender — via majority decision in a tight, technical contest. The win extended a winning streak that also includes victories over Arnold Allen and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

With that résumé now firmly established and the champion’s own acknowledgement of his standing on record, Evloev’s cryptic post carries considerable weight. A title fight before the close of summer 2026 would end one of the featherweight division’s longest-running debates about who deserves the next shot.