Lerone Murphy didn’t get a finish, but he dished out a savage amount of punishment over 25 minutes to beat Edson Barboza in the UFC Vegas 92 main event.
The British fighter showcased a disciplined but devastating boxing attack that pummeled Barboza from one side of the octagon to the other. There were several moments where it appeared Murphy might get the finish, but Barboza kept finding a way to survive despite absorbing an obscene amount of strikes during the five-round fight.
When it was over, the judges scored the contest 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 for Murphy, who remains undefeated with his biggest win to date over a veteran contender.
“I come here to die,” Murphy shouted after his win. “I come here for a war. I packed all my stuff in the hotel. I didn’t even know if I was coming home. That’s what I was coming for.
“I’ve had the hardest road out here. I’ve put in the work, continue to climb. I’m not really bothered about the rankings, I’m just trying to get to that title. I just took out a legend, Edson Barboza, who was on a two-fight winning streak. I deserve the recognition now. I’ve been in there with the best of the best. I just showed my worth. I’m going to be champion. Simple.”
The striking strategy from Murphy paid off throughout the fight, as he led with a great jab while also getting Barboza to bite on his feints. Barboza managed fired back with some of his signature kicks that thudded off Murphy’s lead leg in the early going, but Murphy stayed patient with his combinations and slipped through Barboza’s defense with regularity, opening a cut on Barboza’s nose as the Brazilian struggled to avoid Murphy’s combinations.
Just before the first round ended, Barboza slipped to the floor after trying to land a knee, but as Murphy jumped down on top of him, Barboza uncorked a nasty upkick. The kick cracked Murphy flush in the face and he was clearly rattled as he went back to his corner.
“It was a clean shot, it was good,” Murphy said of the kick.
On the restart, Murphy started slipping a right hand through Barboza’s defense, but Barboza quickly fired back with more of those blistering leg kicks. The damage to lead leg forced Murphy to start switching stances and actually look for a takedown to keep Barboza guessing.
After the featherweights worked back to the feet, Murphy unloaded a huge right hand that blasted Barboza and put him on wobbly legs. With Barboza backing up against the cage, Murphy started teeing off without much risk of reprisal as the 30-fight UFC veteran shifted into survival mode.
Murphy’s confidence continued to grow as he kept forcing Barboza to move backward while unloading several stinging combinations. The right hand from Murphy seemingly had a direct line to Barboza’s chin, and it appeared as if Barboza was living on borrowed time.
While Murphy remained in control, he still had to be cautious whenever Barboza exploded forward, which included a slick spinning back kick in the fourth round. Still, Murphy was the faster and more accurate fighter, with Barboza just looking a step behind in nearly every exchange, although credit to the vet for finding a way to stick around until the final horn.
With a 14-0-1 record, Murphy undoubtedly finds himself in a good position after his latest victory, with hopes that the UFC takes notice both financially and when it comes to his future with the promotion.
“Where’s Dana [White]? That’s got to be $50,000!” Murphy shouted. “That’s got to be Fight of the Night. It has to be. Give me anybody in that top 10. I’m ready. Let’s go.”