This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 105, we saw a big time matchup in the featherweight division between two top ten contenders. Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) was looking to remain unbeaten as he took on former interim title challenger Josh Emmett (19-5).
Heading into this matchup, I thought Murphy had a big advantage on range strikes and technique while Emmett had way more power and explosion. Something I wondered heading into the matchup is whether Emmett would rely on his wrestling roots in order to close the distance and try to score points which he did on Saturday night.
That said, Murphy did an excellent job doing what he does best which is defend takedowns and strike from range. While it felt that Emmett landed some big shots throughout the fight, it just felt like Murphy was leading the dance. That said, takedowns and big shots had my scorecard 2-2 heading into the final round at UFC Vegas 105.
Emmett came out strong but it was Murphy who landed cleaner throughout the fifth round. He even staggered Emmett it appeared with about a minute left. After that, Murphy stayed clear of any danger and went on to win a unanimous decision. It wasn’t the most exciting fight in the world, but it was a big win for Lerone Murphy.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 105?
After this win, Murphy has now won eight fights in a row after fighting to a draw in his UFC debut. He’s moved up to eighth in the rankings and he called for someone in the top five for his next matchup. He of course wants to get a title shot, but he’s going to need at least one or two more wins after that performance.
Lerone Murphy is tremendous, but his style isn’t incredibly flashy and he doesn’t do anything significant that moves the needle. While not entirely fair, that’s not going to expedite his move to the top of the division. So, who should be next for him?
Well, Movsar Evloev was a name that jumped out to me but it looks like he’ll be welcoming Aaron Pico to the octagon next month. There’s only two real options if you ask me. One option is former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling who is ranked behind Murphy currently at ninth. The other option is fellow Englishman, Arnold Allen who is currently ranked seventh.
Everyone else in the UFC’s featherweight division is either already booked or likely moving up to lightweight next so these are kind of default matchups for Murphy.