TLDR
- Aljamain Sterling predicts Lerone Murphy will defeat Movsar Evloev at UFC London despite losing to Evloev in December 2024
- Sterling believes Murphy’s takedown defense, footwork, and striking will be too much for Evloev to handle
- Evloev is the betting favorite at -245 while Murphy is the underdog at +200
- Both fighters are undefeated with Evloev at 19-0 and Murphy at 17-0
- The winner will likely earn the next UFC featherweight title shot
Sources: BJPenn.com | SportsLine | Sherdog
Aljamain Sterling has shared his prediction for Saturday’s UFC London main event between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. Despite losing to Evloev in his most recent fight, Sterling believes Murphy will pull off the upset.
The UFC London main event takes place at the O2 Arena on Saturday and features two undefeated featherweight contenders. Evloev enters with a 19-0 record and nine UFC victories, while Murphy stands at 17-0 with nine UFC wins.
Evloev is the betting favorite at -245 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Murphy comes back at +200 in the odds.
Sterling fought Evloev at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024, losing via unanimous decision. That firsthand experience gives him unique insight into how this fight might play out.
Sterling Explains His Prediction
“Here’s my thing with Murphy: He fights pretty,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “He’s not in there to scrap and get down and dirty.”
Sterling pointed out that Murphy focuses on clean, technical striking and uses excellent footwork. He noted that Evloev is willing to engage in tougher exchanges but primarily relies on his grappling.
Aljamain Sterling makes his pick for Saturday's #UFCLondon main event 🔥https://t.co/QJynocIrRa
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) March 18, 2026
“He hasn’t fought since we fought in December 2024,” Sterling said about Evloev. “I wonder what that layoff is going to look like, especially with a guy he used to train with in Lerone Murphy.”
The two fighters previously trained together, which could give Murphy additional preparation advantages. Sterling highlighted Murphy’s kickboxing skills, lateral movement, and jab as key weapons.
Sterling believes the fight will come down to whether Evloev can secure takedowns early. “I just don’t know if he’ll be able to get to Lerone Murphy to take him down early enough so he’s not taking too much damage,” Sterling explained.
Takedown Defense Could Be Key Factor
Sterling identified Murphy’s takedown defense as a crucial factor in his prediction. If Murphy can defend the takedowns and land strikes, he could win rounds based on damage.
“If Lerone could put the damage on him early, then if he does get taken down, keep it to a position where he’s not getting punched a lot, I could see him winning the rounds by damage,” Sterling said.
He acknowledged that the fight is difficult to predict. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Movsar wins, though. He’s a phenomenal talent, great grappler,” Sterling added.
Youssef Zalal, another featherweight contender, offered a different perspective. “I think Movsar gets it done, his wrestling is insane,” Zalal told Home of Fight.
Zalal will face Sterling at UFC Fight Night 274 on April 25 in Las Vegas. Zalal is currently undefeated in five fights during his second UFC stint.
Evloev’s recent wins include victories over Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Sterling. Murphy has defeated Ige, Edson Barboza, Josh Emmett, and Aaron Pico, with his most recent win coming by first-round knockout at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025.
The winner of Saturday’s main event will likely earn the next featherweight title shot. Sterling remains in the title conversation himself and confirmed he expects to face whoever wins down the line.
SportsLine MMA expert Kyle Marley has also released predictions for the card. The preliminaries begin at approximately 1 p.m. ET, with the main card starting at 4 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
