Why It’s Time to Pay Attention to Lerone Murphy
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UFC featherweight greats like Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Ilia Topuria are celebrated fighters. They’ve reached the upper echelon of the MMA’s respective pound-for-pound rankings. Nowadays, the division claims exciting new faces like Diego Lopes, Movsar Evloev, and Arnold Allen. However, the one featherweight seemingly slipping past the public’s eye is the United Kingdom’s well-rounded, undefeated Lerone Murphy.
Featherweight’s Dark Horse
Lerone Murphy made his UFC debut at UFC 242 in September 2019 when he faced the experienced Russian Zubaira Tukhugov. He showed heart in this debut contest, battling through being taken down several times, and being knocked down to the canvas. Murphy out-struck the superior grappler in the last two rounds. But despite his striking success, he was still taken down and controlled on the ground. This complicated judging spectacle led to a rare split draw on the judges’ scorecards.
In July 2020, he bounced back from his awkward promotional debut, securing an impressive first-round TKO win over the talented Brazilian, Ricardo Ramos. This highlight reel finished earned Murphy a ‘Performance of the Night’ performance bonus. In January 2021, he would return to the UFC cage against the experienced Brazilian knockout artist Douglas Silva de Andrade. The savvy veteran proved a formidable opponent, nearly matching Murphy in the striking and grappling. But, Murphy ended up victorious as he edged out a unanimous decision.
The undefeated prospect continued to claw his way up the division’s ladder of elite talent. Nine months later, in October 2021, Murphy would cross paths with the crafty submission artist Makwan Amirkhani. He showed clear signs of struggle while dealing with Amirkhani’s early wrestling efforts. Come second-round, he handled business accordingly, learning from the first round. Murphy timed a devastating knee on Amirkhani’s takedown entry, sending the grappler unconscious.
Murphy would sit out all of 2022 after withdrawing from a scheduled bout with UFC fan-favorite Nate Landwehr in March. One year later, he would return at UFC 286 to take on the undefeated Brazilian prospect Gabriel Santos. Like clockwork, Murphy was challenged to ward off the grappling efforts of his opponents early. While he out-landed his opponent in the striking, he was constantly taken down. The first round between Murphy and Santos was very close. But, Murphy pulled away in the striking exchanges in the second and third. He narrowly secured a split decision win over Santos, keeping his undefeated record intact.
Rising to the Challenge
Murphy achieved a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Australia’s Josh Culibao in July 2023. This win secured his place in the featherweight division’s top fifteen. His first test within the top fifteen would come from the long-time UFC veteran Edson Barboza in May 2024. The lethal Brazilian sniper has cemented himself as arguably the most versatile striker in MMA history, with highlight-reel finishes targeting the head, body, and legs of his opponents.
This opportunity for Murphy was massive. It was not only because of who he was fighting, but also because it was a main event slot. It was Murphy’s chance to enter the rankings, as he could also gain more fanfare with an impressive performance over the battle-tested featherweight. Murphy did just that, putting up a clinical performance over twenty-five minutes. Murphy out-landed Barboza three-to-one. He secured four takedowns, and his all-around skillset showed en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The rising contender’s last fight was against the always-game Dan Ige. Ige was coming off an impressive outing versus title contender Diego Lopes on short notice. Murphy and Ige fought in October of last year where Murphy dominated the final two rounds. Murphy’s tendency to start slowly and rally in the later rounds has become a recurring theme. It will be interesting to see if he can manage that slow start next time around.
The Toughest Test Ahead
Fight fans are in for a treat with UFC Vegas 105. The featherweight main event features No. 8-ranked Josh Emmett (19-4-0) taking on the No. 10-ranked Lerone Murphy (15-0-1). This will be Murphy’s second time headlining an event under the UFC banner.
Emmett, 40, has faced some of the division’s best. Taking on the likes of Ilia Topuria, Yair Rodriguez, Dan Ige, Bryce Mitchell, and Calvin Kattar. He has been a consummate top featherweight for years and is going 10-4 in his fourteen fights with the UFC. He has gone on to produce some of the most violent knockout highlight reels during his exciting career. His last appearance came in December 2023, when he delivered one of the scariest knockouts against submission artist Bryce Mitchell. Emmett is now 1-2 in his last three fights, so he will look to expand upon his recent viral performance. That said, he will have his hands full with Murphy’s dynamic and sharp skillset, especially given his age.
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