“I wanted to go up to him, talk to him, congratulate him personally, and ask him about the fight. At UFC 314 in Miami, the tension was palpable long before the main event even started. Undefeated Russian featherweight Movsar Evloev tried to slip past security to congratulate champion Alexander Volkanovski. But he was pushed the other way. Evloev told Kolos on MMA, “but the security guys didn’t give me the opportunity…they took me to the opposite side.” For fans and the top featherweight contender, this BTS moment speaks more than what’s visible on the surface.

Evloev, undefeated at 19-0, stood in the shadows of the Octagon while security diverted him away from Alexander Volkanovski‘s post-fight. The undercurrent brewing in the UFC is more than just a one-off and is systemic, evident to eagle-eyed followers of the game. “This shows who the UFC wants to see in the next title fight… Apparently, in their eyes, I am not worthy of the title yet,” added the frustrated Russian fighter. However, the rising 145er is not worried about the denied handshake, since he believes Russians are, anyway, coming for the belt.

When the Russian journalist Vladimir Kolos revealed the internet banter, dubbed “Dana White’s Nightmare” by fans, the Russian dark horse couldn’t agree more. “UFC, it’s difficult roads for guys from Russia,” Kolos told Evloev in their recent interview. “There’s a meme called ‘Dana White’s nightmare,’ and there are you, Khamzat, Islam, Umar, and Ankalaev with the belts.” Evloev smiled, nodding: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that story is kind of on its way to becoming true.”

Evloev, in particular, is quietly building a case for the next title shot at 145. “Topuria is no longer the champion,” he said in the same interview. “I am not belittling what he’s done. He’s a good fighter that I would love to fight too.” Add in the intrigue of Khamzat Chimaev’s next bout, rumored to be a title shot against Dricus Du Plessis, Evloev knows the answer. “Du Plessis won’t be a problem for him…Here comes another belt.”

Russian pressure mounts in every division; is the UFC prepared for Russian champions?

UFC’s current rankings highlight how close the tipping point truly is. Islam Makhachev is arguably the pound-for-pound best in the world. Magomed Ankalaev is another reigning champion in the light heavyweight category who reinforces the meme turning into reality. Khamzat Chimaev holds the #3 middleweight spot, and if the UFC confirms the rumored Du Plessis fight, oddsmakers will back him as the favorite. Movsar Evloev dominated Diego Lopes and Hakeem Dawodu with ease and now stands ready to face a top-five opponent, possibly even Volkanovski.

Umar Nurmagomedov holds a professional MMA record of 18 wins and 1 loss. His sole defeat came against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, where he lost via decision. This setback has momentarily stalled his ascent in the bantamweight division.​ While Khabib’s cousin’s recent loss may have delayed his individual title aspirations, the collective strength of Russian athletes in the UFC suggests that the meme holds significant weight.​

The irony here is that the UFC helped build this machine. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s reign as lightweight champion brought unprecedented Russian viewership and respect to the promotion. But instead of riding that momentum, the UFC somewhat seems hesitant to embrace the avalanche of Dagestani dominance.

This is where it all starts to get uncomfortable for the UFC brass. Russian fighters are known in UFC circles as the antithesis of entertainment-first matchmaking. They break opponents with wrestling-heavy approaches that may not light up highlight reels but leave their opponents demoralized and broken. In a candid revelation on his podcast, Joe Rogan disclosed that a potential deal between the UFC and legendary Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko fell through due to “dangerous” and “unreasonable” negotiations with Fedor’s management team.

“Fedor was controlled by some Russian people that were very rough men… gangster-type characters,” Rogan described the Russian legendary fighter’s team. And yet, they keep coming. As Movsar Evloev said best: “I am off to a slow start.” But slow starts don’t mean weak finishes.

We want to hear from you. Is Dana White’s nightmare a real crisis or an overdue evolution of the sport? Drop your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation, because this debate is far from over.