Lerone Murphy overcame fan favoritism at UFC Vegas 105, defeating Josh Emmett and maintaining his undefeated record.
Murphy delivered a technically superior performance, consistently outstriking Emmett and thwarting the former interim title contender`s offense. He effectively utilized leg kicks and a sharp jab throughout the fight.
The judges awarded Murphy the victory with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, confirming his unanimous decision win and improving his record to 16-0-1.
Following the announcement, Murphy faced boos from the audience at the UFC APEX, seemingly biased towards Emmett. He responded by asserting his victory.
“It`s alright. 16-0, easy work,” Murphy exclaimed to the crowd. “I just stuck to my game plan. He has knockout power, so I couldn`t afford mistakes. It was an intelligent, defensively sound performance. I even dropped him with a left. It was a quality performance.”
While Emmett sought a knockout opportunity, Murphy maintained distance, utilizing jabs and calf kicks. A clash of heads resulted in a cut on Emmett`s face, but he continued his aggressive pursuit.
Emmett surprised with a powerful takedown, lifting and throwing Murphy to the ground. However, Murphy quickly returned to his feet, negating any significant advantage.
Murphy continued to target Emmett`s lead leg, visibly frustrating his opponent`s movement and cage control. Murphy mixed low and high kicks, keeping Emmett off balance.
Murphy`s striking speed and variety became increasingly difficult for Emmett to anticipate as the fight progressed into the fourth round. Murphy also found success with body kicks.
Recognizing he was behind, Emmett focused on landing a knockout punch. However, Murphy consistently blocked or evaded Emmett`s power shots, as the fight began to slip away from Emmett.
In the final round, Emmett desperately sought a fight-ending right hand, but remained unsuccessful. Murphy maintained his strategy of leg kicks and jabs, securing the win until the final bell.
Murphy`s performance, while not a knockout, was a solid victory, continuing his winning streak since his 2021 knockout of Makwan Amirkhani. He steadily climbs the ranks, adding Emmett to his list of defeated opponents.
“Of course, I want a title shot, but I`ll take anyone in the top 5 or 3,” Murphy stated regarding his future. “I want to keep this momentum going and stay active with two more fights this year.”
