On the main card of UFC 308, we are going to see a featherweight matchup between two contenders who are looking to make their case for the top ten in the rankings. 12th ranked Lerone Murphy (14-0-1) will be taking on 14th ranked “50K” Dan Ige (18-8).
Starting with Lerone Murphy, he’s been making real waves in the featherweight division. After fighting to a draw in his debut back in 2019, Murphy has gone a perfect 6-0 and he’s stepped up his competition along the way. Most recently, he had a big time win in a main event against one of the most dangerous strikers in the division in Edson Barboza.
Tomorrow, he’ll be taking on Dan Ige. Dan Ige earned himself a ton of points with the promotion when he stepped in to fight the dangerous Diego Lopes on literally a few hours notice back at UFC 303 in June. Ige made it a very close fight but he ultimately lost a decision. Prior to that, Ige knocked out Andre Fili back in February which earned him a performance of the night bonus.
UFC 308 Prediction
This is a fight that could easily steal the show ahead of the main event. Both of these men are very good strikers and they are both very technical. With Ige, when he lets his hands go, he can really do some serious damage. He has great timing and unbelievable power in his hands.
That said, can he deal with the range and technique of Lerone Murphy. Murphy is a sniper on the feet and there’s not going to be a lot of featherweights in the UFC who can hang with him. I won’t be shocked to see Ige mix things up throughout the fight. I think this one goes the distance and I like Lerone Murphy to win, but I really believe it’s a close decision.
Prediction: Lerone Murphy by Decision