Paddy Pimblett thinks Movsar Evloev QUIT!!! Paddy Pimblett has always been one to give honest takes and speak his mind and when he was watching Movsar Evloev take his first career loss at the hands of featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski he spoke what he saw. Paddy thought Movsar rolled over with 5 seconds left and wanted the referee to step in and stop the fight. Evloev had loss the first round on the judges scorecards but many fans felt the fight was very close and competitive with Volk landing good shots before the fight was over. Is Paddy right or wrong?
Paddy Pimblett has given his blunt read on Movsar Evloev's defeat to Alexander Volkanovski, claiming the Russian effectively quit in the closing seconds. Pimblett said he watched Evloev take the first loss of his career at UFC 333 and believed the featherweight contender rolled over with five seconds remaining, hoping the referee would step in and stop the fight.
The bout, on October 24, ended in a second-round TKO for Volkanovski, who retained the featherweight title. Evloev had lost the opening round on the scorecards, though many fans felt the fight remained close and competitive before Volkanovski landed the shots that ended it.
The fighters
Evloev, 32, entered the title fight 20-0 and ranked number one at featherweight. The Russian, who trains at American Top Team, built his résumé on grinding control, averaging 4.78 takedowns per 15 minutes against 3.91 significant strikes landed per minute at 47 percent accuracy. Before facing Volkanovski, he beat Lerone Murphy by majority decision in March and Aljamain Sterling by unanimous decision in December 2024.
Volkanovski, 38, is 29-4 and ranked third in the pound-for-pound list. The Australian lands 5.99 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, a clear edge over Evloev's output. His title defences against Diego Lopes, in April 2025 and January 2026, both went the full five rounds by unanimous decision, making the stoppage of Evloev his first finish in his three most recent recorded fights.
Pimblett, 31, is a lightweight ranked fifth in the division with a 24-4 record. The Liverpool fighter is coming off a first-round submission of Benoit Saint Denis in July, a win that followed his unanimous decision loss to Justin Gaethje in a January title fight.
Why it matters
- Evloev's unbeaten run is over, and his status as the top-ranked featherweight contender now comes with a stoppage loss attached.
- Volkanovski adds another title defence at 38, extending his reign in a division where Evloev was seen as the most credible threat.
- Pimblett's comments have split opinion, with the debate centred on whether the finish was a fighter giving up or a champion simply landing clean.
The disagreement is partly a matter of timing. A second-round stoppage came after a round that fans considered tight, which is why the debate over Evloev's final moments has carried so much weight.
