Mar 21, 2026
3 min read
Two heavyweight heavyweights will clash in London with a potential title on the line
UFC Fight Night: Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy - predictions, fight card, odds and predictions for the London event
The pair of heavyweights meet in London with a potential title on the line
When Mobsar Yavlov and Ron Murphy square off on Saturday, it will be the longest combined unbeaten streak in a UFC fight.It's only fitting that a fight with such a legacy would lead to UFC Fight Night headlines, where the bantamweight title shot comes.The two meet at London's O2 Stadium (special start time Saturday at 4 p.m. ET).
Evloev (19-0) has deserved a crack at Alexander Volkanovski for years now.As a warrior, he has overcome every challenge that comes his way.His undefeated streak includes wins over former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and two-time featherweight title contender Diego Lopes.Recently, Evloev admitted that if there is one thing that is holding him back, it is his inability to finish any of his nine fights.UFC opponent.
"Finishes are what guarantee you the next title. So for me, the most important thing is just to get this win and make sure I show the levels," Evloev told Brian Campbell of CBS Sports."I want to make sure there are no unanswered questions about my performance, no matter how it goes. This shows that this man cannot be denied the title."
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Murphy (17-0-1) knows that feeling.Like Evloev, he has won a nine-fight streak in the UFC.Although he scored a pair of knockouts early in the promotion, his run up the featherweight ladder consisted largely of decision wins.That was until he agreed to fight UFC debutant Aaron Pico after a proposed fight between Pico and Evloev fell apart.Murphy took advantage of the moment and dropped Pico with a spinning back elbow to get Volkanovski's attention.
"I think I'm very, very smart about this," Murphy told Campbell."I don't just fight, I set everything up, I always change the distance and leave it, I think that's what makes it different.
"I think he can stand by anyone's side for a while. But I think the longer he's by my side, the more likely he is to be taken out."
The biggest name on the undercard is Michael “Venom” Page.The charismatic fighter exceeded expectations of how competitive he would be by jumping from Bellator to the UFC.He is 4-1 with wins over ranked opponents in two divisions.His only loss was a close decision to Ian Machado Garry, who is set to challenge for the welterweight title.
His success hindered him more than he helped.Page's elusive karate style is a double-edged sword.It can lead to memorable knockouts.It can also limit opponents' offense, leading to disappointing finishes.MVP claims that many contenders in the welterweight and middleweight divisions refuse to fight him.Instead, Page is stuck with Sam Patterson, a very dangerous but relatively unknown candidate.
"I made a lot of noise outside of the UFC, so I thought a lot of guys in the UFC were going to say, 'Yeah, but he's not going to be able to do that to a lot of us,'" Page said this week."I've had some great fights and I feel like after people see how I've played with some fighters, they kind of believe the hype and are less likely or willing to try that style."
Before we get to the main event preview and expert picks below, let's take a look at the rest of the fight card with the latest odds from DraftKings.
UFC Fight Night card, cons
|You prefer |Underdog |Weight Class |
Movsar Evloev -250 |Lerone Murphy +205 |Poids plume |
Luke Riley -250 |MIchael Aswell +205 |I-Peso pen |
Mykhailo Page -192 |Sam Patterson +160 |Mixed Weight |
|Ivo Jima-600 |Austin Lane +440 |Light Heavyweight|
|Christian Leroy Duncan -440 |Roman Dolidze +340 |Middleweight |
|Kurtis Campbell -238 |Danny Silva +195 |Lanuga |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: March 21 |Start Time: 4pm ET (Main Card) |1pm ET (Prelims)
Location: O2 Arena - London
Stream: Paramount+ (subscribe now for $8.99 per month)
Movsar Evloev vs. Leron Murphy: Make no mistake, this is an elite grappler vs. striker matchup. Neither one will go out of their way to win to force an upset finish. So far, it's easy to see why Evloev is favored.Murphy's takedown protection is a modest 52%.In Murphy's last three fights, Pico knocked him down twice, Josh Emmett knocked him down four times, and Dan Agee dominated him for nearly five minutes by knockdown and two sweeps.Evloev used to eat many versions of Murphy's.which appeared in this fight.Now, give the underdog credit.Murphy has made significant strides in his wrestling since he first signed with the UFC.His takedown offense has improved a lot, and he's improved his defense.Most importantly, it's hard to catch.Murphy needs to get up early if he has any hope of winning this fight.
The English striker has every right to be confident in other ways.The voice is a fantastic technical striker that lasts five rounds.He needs that gas tank on Evloev's offensive style.I agree with Murphy's assessment of the fighting IQ.The England striker makes good split-second decisions.It's one of the reasons why he has an 18-match unbeaten streak even in close competition.On the contrary, Evloev is sometimes prone to mistakes.I wouldn't be surprised if Murphy picks up the upset.It still doesn't make sense to pick on Evloev.He is very hard to beat on a bad day and specializes in areas where Murphy is most vulnerable.Choose: Evloev unanimous decision
Who did Evloev beat Murphy and how did the fight go?Check out SportsLine now for detailed picks and analysis from the undisputed expert who earned more than $21,000 in his May 19, 2018 UFC picks and finds.
