Tag: Lerone Murphy

UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Press Conference Highlights & Faceoffs

We’re deep into UFC 308 fight week, meaning it was recently time for the fighters set to be in action on October 26 to take to the stage and answer some questions. The MMA leader’s latest numbered event takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the main attraction will […]

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We’re deep into UFC 308 fight week, meaning it was recently time for the fighters set to be in action on October 26 to take to the stage and answer some questions.

The MMA leader’s latest numbered event takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the main attraction will see UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria put his belt on the line against Max Holloway.

Setting the stage for the UFC 308 headliners will be crucial five-round contest at 185 pounds, with former kingpin Robert Whittaker looking to blemish the thus-far perfect professional record of Khamzat Chimaev.

Also on pay-per-view will be top light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, who will look to finally secure a shot at Alex Pereira by getting the better of Aleksandar Raki?. That’s in addition to rising featherweight Lerone Murphy, who returns following a main event win over Edson Barboza to do battle with Dan Ige.

The UFC 308 main card will open with Shara Magomedov making his third walk to the Octagon in quick succession. “Bullet” will look to continue his winning start to life in the UFC against a fellow kickboxing specialist in Armen Petrosyan.

As is customary during major fight weeks, the athletes took to the stage on Thursday for the pre-fight press conference.

Check out a full replay of the presser below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel, followed by all the highlights and faceoffs.

UFC 308 Press Conference Highlights

UFC 308 Press Conference Faceoffs

Continue Reading UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Press Conference Highlights & Faceoffs at MMA News.

Dan Ige Has Return After Same-Day Notice Diego Lopes Scrap In The Works For Abu Dhabi-Held UFC 308

While he didn’t get the next assignment he was after, UFC featherweight fan favorite Dan Ige does appear to have a major matchup in the calendar. Ige, who currently occupies the #14 spot at 145 pounds, made headlines last month when he replaced Brian Ortega on fight day to share the Octagon with Diego Lopes […]

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While he didn’t get the next assignment he was after, UFC featherweight fan favorite Dan Ige does appear to have a major matchup in the calendar.

Ige, who currently occupies the #14 spot at 145 pounds, made headlines last month when he replaced Brian Ortega on fight day to share the Octagon with Diego Lopes in the UFC 303 co-main event.

Although he fell short on the scorecards, the Hawaiian was widely praised for his efforts and seemingly promised something big next time out. Ige was hoping for that to be an appearance at the upcoming Sphere event in September.

That, however, has not come to fruition. Instead, per MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, a clash between Ige and the #11-ranked Lerone Murphy is in the works for the UFC 308 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

The pair were originally set to collide this past February, but an injury to Murphy forced him out on late notice.

Murphy, Ige Target Featherweight Top 10 In Rearranged Clash

Should this fight come to fruition for the Etihad Arena later this year, Murphy will be looking to defend his position on the ladder and keep his hopes of a spot in the featherweight top 10 alive.

Murphy (14-0-1) has long been touted as one of the most promising up-and-comers at 145 pounds, with wins over the likes of Ricardo Ramos and Joshua Culibao paving the way for his entry into the rankings. And the undefeated Brit recorded his biggest win to date this past May, beating Edson Barboza in his maiden main event at the Apex.

If “Iceman” is to keep his 0 and stake his claim for a spot in title contention, he must send Ige (18-8) to a losing skid. The 32-year-old has exchanged wins and losses in recent times, outpointing Nate Landwehr and violently stopping Andre Fili, but falling short against Movsar Evloev and Lopes.

With the spotlight on him following the events of International Fight Week, Ige will look to return to winning ways in a big way and begin a resurgence up the featherweight pecking order.

Continue Reading Dan Ige Has Return After Same-Day Notice Diego Lopes Scrap In The Works For Abu Dhabi-Held UFC 308 at MMA News.

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win – UFC Vegas 92 Highlights

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win - UFC Vegas 92 HighlightsManchester’s own Lerone Murphy delivered a star-making performance in the UFC Vegas 92 headliner on Saturday night. Gunning for…

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win - UFC Vegas 92 Highlights

Manchester’s own Lerone Murphy delivered a star-making performance in the UFC Vegas 92 headliner on Saturday night.

Gunning for his first win against a ranked contender, Murphy was tasked with taking on Octagon icon and 35-fight veteran Edson Barboza inside The APEX in Las Vegas. From the get-go, Murphy had the advantage on the feet, forcing Barboza to bite on his feints and land at will with the right hand.

Murphy survived a scary moment in the waning seconds of the opening round when he ate a vicious upkick from Barboza that had him rocked and appeared to break his nose. Despite the moment of adversity, Murphy came back in round two and delivered a near-perfect fight for the next four rounds. After five rounds of action, Murphy had outstruck ‘Junior’ 259 to 79. On top of that, ‘The Miracle’ landed four of six takedowns clocking more than five minutes of control time.

Needless to say, Murphy ran away with it on the scorecards, bagging his 14th career victory and sixth win under the UFC banner.

Official Result: Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

Lerone Murphy

Check Out Highlights From Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy at UFC Vegas 92: 

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win – UFC Vegas 92 Highlights

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win - UFC Vegas 92 HighlightsManchester’s own Lerone Murphy delivered a star-making performance in the UFC Vegas 92 headliner on Saturday night. Gunning for…

Lerone Murphy dominates Edson Barboza, stays undefeated with unanimous decision win - UFC Vegas 92 Highlights

Manchester’s own Lerone Murphy delivered a star-making performance in the UFC Vegas 92 headliner on Saturday night.

Gunning for his first win against a ranked contender, Murphy was tasked with taking on Octagon icon and 35-fight veteran Edson Barboza inside The APEX in Las Vegas. From the get-go, Murphy had the advantage on the feet, forcing Barboza to bite on his feints and land at will with the right hand.

Murphy survived a scary moment in the waning seconds of the opening round when he ate a vicious upkick from Barboza that had him rocked and appeared to break his nose. Despite the moment of adversity, Murphy came back in round two and delivered a near-perfect fight for the next four rounds. After five rounds of action, Murphy had outstruck ‘Junior’ 259 to 79. On top of that, ‘The Miracle’ landed four of six takedowns clocking more than five minutes of control time.

Needless to say, Murphy ran away with it on the scorecards, bagging his 14th career victory and sixth win under the UFC banner.

Official Result: Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

Lerone Murphy

Check Out Highlights From Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy at UFC Vegas 92: 

Exclusive | Undefeated Lerone Murphy details dream UFC fight and previews UFC 286: “That’s the biggest fight in the world.”

Lerone MurphyWith UFC 286 just over two weeks away, featherweight prospect Lerone Murphy is ready to go, but he still hasn’t found an opponent willing to step up. After a substantial time away from the octagon, it seemed as though Murphy’s return to home soil was confirmed against his English counterpart Nathaniel Wood.  Although with a […]

Lerone Murphy

With UFC 286 just over two weeks away, featherweight prospect Lerone Murphy is ready to go, but he still hasn’t found an opponent willing to step up.

After a substantial time away from the octagon, it seemed as though Murphy’s return to home soil was confirmed against his English counterpart Nathaniel Wood. 

Although with a month to spare, Nathaniel Wood disappointingly announced that he had to pull out from the fight due to a sliced knee he suffered in training. Wood described it as a “freak accident” during wrestling practice, and says that movement in his knee is severely limited until his stitches are removed.

Based on Murphy’s recent tweet, he may not see it the same way Wood does.

Murphy’s last fight came in October of 2021, when he managed to knock out the highly experienced Makwan Amirkhani in the second round. He currently holds an 11-0-1 record featuring seven knockouts, with six of them coming in the very first round.

Lerone Murphy LowKickMMA Exclusive

Speaking in a recent interview with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton, Murphy says he feels like he’s in ideal shape and on schedule with his weight cut.

Without any limitations on who he may stand across come March 18, Murphy says if it was up to him the obvious answer would be Conor McGregor. He praised McGregor’s legacy in the UFC and says he began watching the UFC during McGregor’s early featherweight dominance to stardom, stating:

“That’s the biggest fight in the world. Everyone knows that, no one needs to shy away from it.” 

Murphy also previewed the exciting trilogy headlining the O2 arena for UFC 286 and backed his fellow countryman Leon Edwards to conclude his business with Kamaru Usman and come out with a victory. He believes that after the incredible run Usman managed at welterweight, running into the catastrophe that occurred in the final round against Edwards will determine his future.

“You’re not gonna come back the same fighter.”

He attributes his prediction to the massive advantage he could have in his home nation, and the elimination of the high altitude which Murphy believes may have gassed Edwards out in their previous matchup.

Murphy also believes that Usman should’ve taken at least one year off to recover from the shocking knockout at UFC 278.

Looking back at his own career, Murphy does not care who the UFC offers him, as long as he finds an opponent.

He rates himself highly among his featherweight company, and if he manages to find an opponent and convincing win on March 18, then he may very well find himself ranked among the top 15.

Murphy understands he is still human and has questioned himself just days away from fights before.

“Why did I pick this life?”

He has kept his head up despite the missing opponent he’s been looking for, and has kept a positive mindset by training as if his matchup was confirmed.

“With preparation comes confidence.”

Will someone step up in time to face Lerone Murphy?

Rising UK Contender Lerone Murphy Feels Jon Jones ‘Deserves’ Special Treatment To Avoid Tom Aspinall Fight

Lerone Murphy recently suggested that Jon Jones warrants special deference to avoid a potential showdown with Tom Aspinall. Aspinall’s patience appears to be wearing thin as he persistently calls out Jones for a UFC heavyweight title unification bout. The interim heavyweight champion has been unreservedly articulate about his eagerness to challenge “Bones” ever since he […]

Continue Reading Rising UK Contender Lerone Murphy Feels Jon Jones ‘Deserves’ Special Treatment To Avoid Tom Aspinall Fight at MMA News.

Lerone Murphy recently suggested that Jon Jones warrants special deference to avoid a potential showdown with Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall’s patience appears to be wearing thin as he persistently calls out Jones for a UFC heavyweight title unification bout. The interim heavyweight champion has been unreservedly articulate about his eagerness to challenge “Bones” ever since he claimed the title at UFC 295 last November.

However, “Bones” has shown little interest in the much-anticipated matchup with Aspinall. Instead of considering a showdown, the reigning heavyweight champion has made it clear that his focus is firmly on fighting Stipe Miocic, a bout expected to headline UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden this November.

Jones has often teased the possibility of retiring after conquering an esteemed former heavyweight champion like Miocic, which would further solidify his status as the GOAT. Meanwhile, “The Miracle” believes that with everything Jones has already accomplished in the sport, there’s no need for him to prove himself against Aspinall…

Murphy Thinks Jones Enjoys Perks Uncommon To Other Fighters

During a recent interview with Title Sports Network, Murphy weighed in on the escalating tension between Jones and Aspinall, noting that things have taken a turn for the worse. The undefeated featherweight contender remarked that Aspinall should have taken a tougher stance from the start. However, he doubts his fellow countryman will secure the fight he’s after, as Jones enjoys certain well-earned privileges from the UFC.

“I think he should have been doing that from the get-go,” Murphy said. “Obviously, he’s being respectful of the greatest of all time, and I feel like he should be doing that, and it’s good, but I don’t think he’s going to get the fight. But yeah, it’s good for him to do. I feel like Jon’s getting the treatment he deserves, though, but he’s getting a different treatment than everybody else because usually if there’s an interim champion, you have to come back and fight the champion.”

Jones last graced the Octagon in March 2023, where he claimed the heavyweight title with a decisive submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He was set to defend his title for the first time against Miocic at UFC 295, but “Bones” was compelled to withdraw just two weeks before the fight due to a severe pectoral injury.

Continue Reading Rising UK Contender Lerone Murphy Feels Jon Jones ‘Deserves’ Special Treatment To Avoid Tom Aspinall Fight at MMA News.