Lerone Murphy maintained his unbeaten record with a dominant points victory over Edson Barboza in the featherweight main event of a UFC Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 19 May 2024.
Murphy, who moved 14-0-1 with the win, bossed the fight by keeping up the striking pressure throughout the full 25 minutes, while also throwing in the occasional takedown to keep his experienced opponent guessing.
Barboza, who dropped to 24-12, landed plenty of hits in return, but ultimately ‘The Miracle’s’ output earned him a deserved 49-46 50-45 50-45 points triumph on the judges' score cards.
“I've had the hardest road out here and I've put in the work and continued to climb," Murphy said in his post-fight interview.
"I'm not really bothered about the rankings. I just want to get to that title. I just took out a legend. Edson Barboza was on a two-fight winning streak. I deserve the recognition now to be with the best of the best. I just showed my worth.
“I'm changing my nickname back to 'The Iceman' because there is nothing miraculous about this," Murphy continued. "I'm meant to be here. I'm going to be the champion. Simple.”
The rest of the main card saw Khaos Williams make quick work of Carlston Harris in the welterweight co-main event; Zimbabwean rising star Themba Gorimbo got the better Ramiz Brahimaj via unanimous decision in the welterweight division; Adrian Yanez stopped Vinicius Salvador in the first round of their bantamweight bout; and the women’s strawweight opener saw Angela Hill submit Luana Pinheiro with a guillotine choke.
The UFC continues on the first Sunday in June with UFC 302 at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey, headlined by a lightweight championship match between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier.
UFC Fight Night: Barboza v Murphy – Fight card results
Main event: Featherweight: Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (49-46 50-45 50-45), R5, 5:00
Welterweight: Khaos Williams def. Carlston Harris via KO (punch), R1, 1:30
Welterweight: Themba Gorimbo def. Ramiz Brahimaj via unanimous decision (30-27 30-27 30-27), R3, 5:00
Bantamweight: Adrian Yanez def. Vinicius Salvador via TKO (punches), R1, 2:47
Women’s strawweight: Angela Hill def. Luana Pinheiro via submission (guillotine choke), R2, 4:12