TLDR
- Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev trained together in sparring sessions eight years ago
- Movsar Evloev confirmed that Murphy dropped him during one of their sparring sessions
- The two fighters will face each other in the main event at UFC London
- Murphy spoke out about the sparring incident after Evloev made comments about their past
- Both fighters have acknowledged the sparring session happened in 2016
Sources: Yahoo Sports | Bloody Elbow | BJPenn.com
Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev have confirmed they sparred together eight years ago, with both fighters now addressing what happened during those training sessions. The two featherweights will face each other in the main event at UFC London this weekend.
Movsar Evloev admitted that Murphy dropped him during a sparring session that took place in 2016. The Russian fighter confirmed the incident after initially making comments about their past training together.
Murphy Responds to Sparring Comments
Murphy spoke out after Evloev brought up their sparring history in the lead-up to their UFC London fight. The British fighter recalled the specific moment when he dropped his future opponent during their gym session.
The incident happened eight years before the two fighters would be scheduled to meet inside the octagon. At the time, neither fighter had reached the level they are at now in the UFC featherweight division.
Murphy has been vocal about remembering the sparring sessions clearly. He described dropping Evloev during one of their exchanges in the gym all those years ago.
Evloev did not deny the incident when pressed about it. Instead, he confirmed that Murphy did drop him during their sparring session in 2016.
Lerone Murphy breaks down his upcoming fight with Movsar Evloev. 🔥🥊
“Banger of a fight: 17-0 vs 19-0. The game plan is simple – walk forward and try to knock him out. I believe it’s probably the best fighter I’ve fought so far. There’s no secret that he’s going to come to… pic.twitter.com/csuiOhJlq6
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 5, 2026
UFC London Main Event Preview
The sparring story has added extra interest to their upcoming main event fight at UFC London. Both fighters are ranked contenders in the featherweight division looking to move closer to a title shot.
Murphy will be fighting in front of his home crowd in London. He enters the fight on a winning streak and looking to make a statement against the highly-ranked Evloev.
Evloev is known for his undefeated record in the UFC. The Russian fighter has won all of his fights in the promotion and is considered one of the toughest tests in the division.
The back-and-forth about their sparring session has created additional storylines for the fight. Both fighters have been professional in discussing the incident while building interest in their matchup.
Sparring stories between fighters are common in mixed martial arts, but this one carries extra weight given the upcoming fight. The incident happened when both fighters were earlier in their careers and training in the same gym.
Murphy has used the story to show he has experience against Evloev, even if it was only in training. The British fighter believes he can replicate that success when they meet in the octagon.
Evloev has downplayed the importance of what happened in sparring. He has emphasized that training sessions are different from actual fights and that outcomes in the gym do not always translate to competition.
The confirmation from both fighters that the sparring incident occurred has verified a story that had been circulating among fans. Both Murphy and Evloev have now publicly addressed what happened during their training session in 2016.
The UFC London main event will take place this weekend with Murphy and Evloev settling their rivalry inside the octagon. Fans will get to see if the sparring session from eight years ago has any bearing on the actual fight between the two featherweight contenders.
