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Movsar Evloev has not competed since January when he beat Arnold Allen via unanimous decision at UFC 297. The No. 6-ranked featherweight appeared set to face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 307, however, the former bantamweight champion was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.
While Evloev publicly issued a call out to the entire featherweight division after Sterling's withdrawal, it appears that he was unable to find an opponent. Championship Rounds relayed the news that he would no longer compete next month, tweeting:
"🚨 Movsar Evloev is officially off of #UFC307 due to no one agreeing to fight him. (per. @AlexBehunin ) #UFC #MMA"
Check out the tweet from Championship Rounds below:
Fans shared their reaction to the news. @nftkoosh is hopeful that the bout with Sterling will be re-booked:
"Re-book aljo"
@spinbackelon was disappointed to see the upcoming pay-per-view lose a fight:
"Pain."
@NickWontMiss wants Evloev's canceled bout with Sterling to be re-booked for UFC 310 in December:
"Rebook the @funkmasterMMA fight for December. That 0 still ain’t safe"
@TheCSMatrixer believes that Evloev should face Diego Lopes in a No.1 contender bout with both fighters having a full camp:
"The UFC should make the rematch between him and Lopes. Lopes stepping in at #UFC307 would’ve been unfair since it’s short notice again for him and he just recently fought for 3 rounds. It’s only fair that they rematch at a later date for number 1 title position…"
Check out the best fan reactions below:
Diego Lopes turned down Movsar Evloev's callout for a short-notice clash
Diego Lopes picked up the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career at UFC 306 as he defeated Brian Ortega via unanimous decision to move up to third in the featherweight rankings. He was called out by Movsar Evloev following news of Aljamain Sterling's withdrawal from UFC 307. The No. 6-ranked featherweight took to X, tweeting:
"@Diegolopesmma hey if you wanna defend your honor you have 2.5 weeks to try and get this loss off your record"
Lopes denied the callout, claiming he is no longer interested in the bout:
"You had your chance a few months ago when I called you to fight!! Now you sit back and watch as the bus leaves you waiting."
Check out Movsar Evloev's tweet and Diego Lopes' response below:
Lopes previously stepped in on five days' notice to make his promotional debut against the undefeated Evloev at UFC 288 last May. The latter won the bout via unanimous decision with both fighters taking home a Fight of the Night bonus. The former has won five consecutive bouts in the 16 months since they clashed, while the latter has entered the octagon just once.
