UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy Preview

Lerone Murphy blasts Dan Ige with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC heads to the O2 Arena in London, England, with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card has been packed full of exciting matchups, local talent, and true scrappers all looking to put on a show this Saturday night. In the co-main event, dangerous power-puncher Luke Riley will go toe-to-toe with a gritty brawler in Michael Aswell. In the main event, we’ll see two top-five Featherweights square off when dominant wrestler Movsar Evloev takes on precise striker Lerone Murphy. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Kurtis Campbell vs. Danny Silva

Kurtis Campbell digs a kick to the body of Demba Seck. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Featherweight Bout

Kurtis Campbell: 8-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Danny Silva: 10-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Campbell is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a versatile fighter with excellent striking and dangerous grappling skills. He pursues a finish from the opening bell, immediately pressuring his opponent and backing them up before unloading heavy kicks. Campbell varies his attacks well, with particularly effective leg kicks, and possesses deceptive power, having produced three finish victories in a minute and a half or less. Training at the MMA Academy Liverpool, he will often look to grapple early and has excellent timing and entries on his takedowns, often chaining them together before securing a dominant position on the mat. He’s always working in top position, constantly advancing, landing ground and pound, and attempting submissions while maintaining smothering control of his opponent. Campbell is constantly pushing the action but has five-round experience and can maintain a heavy pace across three rounds.

Danny Silva fires a straight right hand at Lucas Almeida. MMA Fighting.

Silva has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Josh Culibao (11-4-1) and Lucas Almeida (15-5-0). He’s a durable scrapper with impressive power and outstanding wrestling. He’s constantly coming forward, pressuring his opponent, and controlling the center of the octagon. Silva prefers power to volume, not putting out much at range before exploding into the pocket to unload heavy combinations. Training at Bloodline Combat, he’s landing, on average, over two takedowns per fifteen minutes and is a tenacious wrestler, often chaining takedowns together along the fence. His striking sets up his grappling, regularly punching into the clinch before taking the fight to the mat. Silva has excellent cardio, maintaining his pace and power throughout, and has secured four of his five knockout victories after the first round.

#11 Roman Dolidze vs. Christian Leroy Duncan

Roman Dolidze cracks Marvin Vettori with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Middleweight Bout

Roman Dolidze: 15-4-0, 8 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Christian Leroy Duncan: 13-2-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dolidze has won three of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over Marvin Vettori (19-10-1), Kyle Daukaus (17-4-0), and Kevin Holland (28-15-0). He’s a solid grappler who’s always willing to brawl. He throws everything with power and tends to headhunt, constantly dipping his head and firing looping hooks and overhands. Dolidze is excellent in the clinch and very hard to shake off, possessing devastating striking in close, particularly with his knees. He’s averaging about one takedown landed per 15 minutes and has solid top control and heavy ground and pound. Training at Xtreme Couture, he favors power to volume and will often get wild, charging forward and firing power shots. Dolidze has gone five rounds multiple times in the UFC and carries his power throughout the fight, remaining dangerous at all times.

Christian Leroy Duncan lands a stunning right hook on Marco Tulio. Credit: MMA Mania.

Duncan has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Marco Tulio (14-2-0), Andrey Pulyaev (10-4-0), and Eryk Anders (18-9-0). He’s a flashy striker with power in both hands and an expansive arsenal of kicks. He’s unpredictable, constantly moving and switching stances while attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Duncan is highly accurate and efficient, throwing every shot purposefully without loading up or overextending. He’s excellent at controlling the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside of the Octagon while fighting behind his jab and piecing them up with clean shots. Training at Range MMA Academy, he’s willing to grapple and will occasionally shoot takedowns, advancing very quickly and raining down heavy ground and pound when in top position. Duncan carries his power across all three rounds and is always dangerous, capable of creating a highlight-reel finish at any moment.

Iwo Baraniewski vs. Austen Lane

Iwo Baraniewski lands a concussive right hand on Ibo Aslan. Credit: MMA Mania.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Iwo Baraniewski: 7-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Austen Lane: 13-7-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Baraniewski is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Ibo Aslan (14-4-0). He’s a powerful brawler with excellent grappling skills to back up his dangerous hands. He’s impressively durable and will constantly come forward and pressure his opponent, always willing to eat a shot to land one of his own. Despite his brawling tendencies, Baraniewski has solid head movement and is very accurate with his hands, throwing every shot with power and rarely missing. He has a black belt in Judo, a brown belt in BJJ, and a lengthy amateur MMA career, holding an amateur record of 16-3 before turning professional in 2023. He has excellent trips and throws from the clinch and is very aggressive in top position, almost immediately looking to posture up and rain down ground and pound. Baraniewski has not seen a second round in his professional career and has finished all of his victories in under four minutes.

Austen Lane fires a right hand at Robelis Despaigne. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Lane has won one of his last five fights, holding a UFC victory over Robelis Despaigne (5-2-0). He is a lengthy striker who often opens up with a barrage of kicks before blitzing in to unleash combinations. He’s very explosive, throws everything in combination, and spends much of his time in the cage brawling inside the pocket. Training at Bulldog Boxing, Lane has solid power in his hands and decent cardio, carrying his punching capacity across 15 minutes. He is a former NFL player and has finished all but one of his wins, having left the first round just six times in his professional career. While he won’t typically engage in grappling exchanges, he will throw heavy ground-and-pound if he finds himself in top position. Lane has shown an ability to survive off his back and will pursue submissions if given the opportunity.

#13 Michael Page vs. Sam Patterson

Michael Page lands a vicious spinning elbow on the jaw of Kevin Holland. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Welterweight Bout

Michael Page: 24-3-0, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Sam Patterson: 14-2-1, 6 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Page has won four of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over #10 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-9-0), Kevin Holland (28-15-0), and Shara Magomedov (16-1-0). One of the most dangerous kickboxers in the sport, he has a fantastic arsenal of flashy kicks and flashier celebrations. He has outstanding counterstriking, often floating along the outside of the cage and looking to draw his opponent into his range so he can counter with big shots. Training at London Shootfighters, Page is in perpetual motion, keeping his hands down and his stance wide, looking for openings to land devastating kicks or combinations. He never telegraphs his attacks, constantly changes his target, and has fantastic distance management, remaining elusive at all times. He typically won’t pursue grappling exchanges, but he has solid takedown defense and submissions. With 13 finishes in the first round, Page is particularly dangerous early on, but remains dangerous throughout and can produce a highlight-reel finish at any time.

Sam Patterson rains down vicious ground and pound onto Danny Barlow. Credit: MMA Mania.

Patterson has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Trey Waters (9-2-0), Danny Barlow (9-2-0), and Yohan Lainesse (9-3-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who’s always willing to engage on his feet and has lethal chokes on the mat. He’s a lengthy fighter and uses it well, maintaining solid distance management while throwing long punches and kicks at range. Patterson remains technical on the feet, keeping his shots straight and tight without telegraphing or overextending. Patterson is averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and can secure a dominant position with impressive speed when he’s on top. He prefers submissions to ground and pound, typically pursuing chokes immediately upon reaching the mat and often securing them quickly. Patterson has earned more than half of his professional wins in the first round and has not gone beyond the first round in his last five fights. 

Luke Riley vs. Michael Aswell

Luke Riley finishes Bogdan Grad with brutal ground and pound. Credit: MMA Mania.

Featherweight Bout

Luke Riley: 12-0-0, 9 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Michael Aswell: 11-3-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Riley is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Bogdan Grad (15-4-0). He’s a precise striker with one-shot knockout power. He fights behind his jab and remains technical throughout, favoring power to volume but always throwing in combination when he lets his hands go. Riley does a great job of varying his attacks, firing leg kicks at range and regularly mixing vicious body shots into punch combinations. Training at Next Generation UK, he’s defensively sound with solid distance management and head movement, and will constantly look to close the distance so he can unload inside the pocket. He won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges, but he has solid get-ups and will throw heavy ground and pound when in top position. Riley heats up as the fight continues, increasing his output as the fight plays out, but he is just as dangerous early on and has secured nearly half of his knockout wins in the first round.

Michael Aswell lands a devastating shot to the chin of Lucas Almeida. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Aswell has won three of his last five fights, holding a UFC victory over Lucas Almeida (15-5-0). He’s a gritty scrapper who’s always willing to come forward and exchange. He fights behind his jab and throws everything in combination, favoring volume to power and regularly stringing together four or five punches at a time. Aswell has solid footwork and is in perpetual motion, rarely spending much time at range before entering the pocket to let his hands go. He tends to headhunt, rarely throwing many kicks, but does a good job of changing his angles when coming forward and varying his punches. Training at Metro Fight Club, he won’t usually pursue grappling exchanges but has exhibited solid takedown defense and great getups, rarely spending much time on his back. Aswell always throws with impressive output, averaging 101 significant strikes landed between his appearances in the UFC and Contender Series.

#1 Movsar Evloev vs. #3 Lerone Murphy

Movsar Evloev maintains control of Aljamain Sterling on the mat. Credit: MMAJunkie.

Featherweight Bout

Movsar Evloev: 19-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Lerone Murphy: 17-0-1, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Evloev is undefeated and holds UFC victories over #2 ranked Featherweight Diego Lopes (27-8-0), #5 ranked Featherweight Aljamain Sterling (25-5-0), and #8 ranked Featherweight Arnold Allen (20-4-0). He’s an excellent grappler, holding the rank of Master of Sport in Greco-Roman wrestling. He’s averaging nearly five takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has landed multiple takedowns in seven of his eight promotional appearances. Evloev has excellent top control and always remains technical, constantly throwing ground and pound and looking to wear his opponent down. Training at American Top Team, he has solid power in his hands and is defensively sound, absorbing less than three significant strikes per minute. He moves in and out of the pocket excellently and never keeps his head on the centerline, often dropping his head and blitzing forward to throw combinations. Evloev has excellent cardio and will push a heavy pace throughout, especially on the mat.

Lerone Murphy drops Aaron Pico with a devastating spinning elbow. Credit: The Independent.

Murphy is undefeated, with UFC victories coming over #15 ranked Featherweight Josh Emmett (19-7-0), Dan Ige (19-11-0), and Edson Barboza (24-14-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with a solid ground game and measured, accurate striking. He’s in perpetual motion, constantly feinting and giving his opponent different looks before coming forward to throw. Murphy remains technical throughout and does an excellent job of picking his shots, regularly catching his opponents with big strikes right as they enter his range. He is averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is willing to grapple, but is most comfortable on his feet. Training at Manchester Top Team, he’s dangerous from anywhere but especially inside the pocket, with particularly damaging elbows. Murphy has outlanded nearly all of his UFC opponents and rarely takes much damage, having successfully defended 61% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC.

Best Bets

Iwo Baraniewski by KO/TKO: This is an intriguing matchup of two Light Heavyweight strikers. There’s not much I can say in Lane's favor; all of his professional losses have come via finish, and he’s proven very chinny during his UFC tenure. Meanwhile, Baraniewski had an unbelievable debut victory over Ibo Aslan and is looking like a serious prospect. Baraniewski also has an exceptional grappling background, giving him far more paths to victory than Lane in this matchup. I expect this fight to get off to a very quick start, with both men meeting in the middle and exchanging blows from the opening bell. I anticipate the power of Baraniewski to get to Lane quickly, forcing Lane on the back foot and allowing Baraniewski to come forward and unload bombs onto him. Once he really lets his hands go, I don’t think it will take long for Baraniewski to find Lane’s chin and secure another stunning knockout victory.

Michael Page by KO/TKO: An interesting matchup of two very different fighters, I’ve been looking forward to this one. This is an enormous step up in competition for Patterson, who, although he is riding an impressive four-fight win streak, has exclusively fought other prospects. Page, on the other hand, is coming off two very impressive wins over high-level opponents in Jared Cannonier and Shara Magomedov, and has vastly more professional experience. Ultimately, I believe Page’s power and movement will prove too much for Patterson; I expect Page to be in perpetual motion throughout, remaining elusive and landing clean shots regularly. As the fight goes on, I expect Patterson to get increasingly frustrated with his inability to find Page and will likely take more risks or pursue takedowns, leaving him open to big damage from Page's flashy attacks. Once Patterson starts entering Page’s range more often or shooting desperate takedowns, I believe Page will start lighting him up, denying takedowns, and taunting him as he continues to do damage. Page can have a tendency to play with his food, but given he’s fighting in his hometown, I expect him to go for the finish and gain another highlight-reel win.

Evloev vs. Murphy Over 4.5 Rounds: This is an enormously significant matchup for Featherweight, and the winner will likely be fighting for gold in their next bout. Both fighters have proven to have outstanding, well-rounded skill sets, but they prefer opposite approaches: Evloev is more grapple-focused, while Murphy is more striking-focused. Although their styles differ, they have two major things in common: both are undefeated, and both have a tendency to go all five rounds. Evloev has gone the distance in all 9 of his UFC bouts, while Murphy has seen the judges’ scorecards in seven of his ten UFC appearances. I do anticipate some close exchanges in this fight, but I also expect plenty of grueling, grinding grappling exchanges on the mat and along the fence. While Evloev is an excellent offensive grappler, Murphy is dangerous off his back foot and has great get-ups, so I expect their skills to cancel out and lead to a bit of a stalemate. They both have great cardio and can push a heavy pace, so while I expect some fun moments in this fight, I’m confident it will last at least four and a half rounds.