Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo recently ignited debate by suggesting that undefeated contender Movsar Evloev should be cut from the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster if he ever suffers a loss. Aldo's comments, made to MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz, centered on the entertainment value and marketability of fighters within the promotion.
Aldo's Rationale for Roster Cuts
Aldo, a revered figure in the sport, argued that the UFC operates as both a ranking system and an entertainment business. He emphasized that a fighter's position in the rankings should not be the sole determinant for opportunities, especially title shots. According to Aldo, Evloev, despite his top ranking, does not generate sufficient fan interest. "I'd wait for him to lose for the first time and then cut him because he's a guy who doesn't sell, a guy who puts on boring fights, a guy who doesn't draw attention, who just stays inactive," Aldo stated, explaining his perspective on why he would remove Evloev from the roster if he were in a position of authority.
Evloev's Undefeated Streak and Style
Movsar Evloev currently holds an unblemished UFC record of 10-0-0, making him one of the most dominant fighters in the featherweight division. His consistent winning streak has propelled him to the official UFC ranking of #1 in the featherweight division. Evloev, who was thirty-two years old at his last fight, has secured all ten of his UFC victories by decision, a fact that appears to be central to Aldo's criticism regarding his fighting style. His last win, a majority decision over Lerone Murphy, occurred in March 2026 at UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy, where pre-fight market odds favored him at sixty-nine percent to win.
A Look at Evloev's Dominance and Upcoming Challenge
Evloev's path to the top of the featherweight rankings has been marked by a series of impressive decision victories against high-caliber opponents. Before his last fight, he was on a nine-fight UFC win streak. In December 2024, he defeated Aljamain Sterling by unanimous decision at UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura. Prior to that, he secured a unanimous decision win against Arnold Allen in January 2024 at UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis. Other notable decision victories include a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes in May 2023 at UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo and a unanimous decision win against Dan Ige in June 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik. His wrestling prowess is evident in his statistics, averaging 4.7 takedowns per fight with a fifty-seven percent accuracy, complemented by a robust seventy-four percent takedown defense. His Kimono Fighter Elo rating after his last fight stands at 1128.
Evloev is now set to face his biggest challenge yet, a championship bout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev.
By the numbers
| Fighter | UFC record | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Movsar Evloev | 10-0-0 | Featherweight #1 |
UFC records count UFC fights only. Records and rankings from UFC Stats and ufc.com.
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