Lerone Murphy believes he has found a clear route to a title opportunity, and he`s taking inspiration from Diego Lopes, who is competing for the championship at UFC 314, to get there.
Following his unanimous decision victory over Josh Emmett at UFC Vegas 105, the undefeated British featherweight expressed his interest in facing Brian Ortega as his next challenge. Murphy clarified that this isn`t due to any personal animosity, but rather because he sees a parallel in Diego Lopes` career path, who secured a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski after defeating Ortega. Murphy aims to follow a similar trajectory.
“It`s a fight I`ve been considering for some time,” Murphy stated at the UFC Vegas 105 post-fight press conference regarding a potential bout with Ortega. “Seeing Diego Lopes get a title shot after beating him shows me that`s a viable path. I also fought Dan Ige, just like Lopes did. So, I`m looking to face one of those top guys.”
After his Saturday win, Murphy immediately called for a matchup against a top-5 opponent in the featherweight division, aiming to solidify his position as a title contender.
Boasting a 16-0-1 record, Murphy feels his achievements warrant consideration for high-profile fights, although he acknowledges some frustration with his lack of finishes. His recent victory over Emmett marks his seventh decision win out of nine UFC fights.
“The fight played out exactly as planned,” Murphy commented on his win. “The strategy was to pick him off from a distance and catch him as he came in. Of course, I was aiming for a finish, but they just haven`t been materializing lately.”
“Regardless, it was a dominant performance. We`re focused on securing finishes and victories, accumulating wins, and ultimately striving for that title shot.”
Despite his desire to finish Emmett, Murphy was aware of the risk of engaging in close exchanges with a known knockout puncher. Therefore, constant movement and attacking Emmett from range were key elements of Murphy`s successful strategy.
“I absorbed a few shots on my gloves, but nothing significant landed,” Murphy explained. “I knew he possesses considerable power, having knocked out some strong opponents. My priority was to stay defensively sound and avoid taking clean hits.”
While all judges scored the fight in Murphy`s favor, he expressed slight surprise that two judges awarded Emmett two rounds in the five-round contest. Although the outcome remained unchanged, Murphy questioned the basis for those judges` scoring, as he felt he clearly won four rounds.
“I believe I decisively won four rounds,” Murphy stated. “If he won a round, it might have been when I threw a kick and he briefly gained top position, but I don`t think he landed any significant strikes throughout the fight. Perhaps he was slightly more active in one round, and that`s all.”
