Lerone Murphy from Manchester maintained his unbeaten record in the UFC by securing a unanimous decision victory over Josh Emmett at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In a highly anticipated top-10 featherweight match, Murphy showcased superior boxing skills throughout the 25-minute fight. He successfully defended against Emmett`s strong wrestling attempts to claim the win.
Murphy, now with a record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw in MMA, received scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 from the judges. This victory ties him with Movsar Evloev of Russia for the longest active winning streak in the UFC featherweight division.
Following his win, Murphy stated, `Easy work,` and expressed his ambition for a featherweight title shot later in the year. He added, `I want the title, but I`m ready to face anyone in the top five, top three. Let`s make it happen.`
Murphy emphasized his desire to maintain momentum and stay active, aiming for two more fights this year as he pursues the championship.
Emmett, with a record of 19 wins and 5 losses in MMA, is ranked eighth in the UFC featherweight division, placing him two spots above Murphy. Emmett, aged 40, was returning to the Octagon after being inactive since December 2023.
In the co-main event, Pat Sabatini defeated Joanderson Brito by unanimous decision in another featherweight clash. Sabatini dominated with ground control for almost the entire fight, winning with scores of 30-26, 30-26, and 30-27.
Other fight results included Brad Tavares and Chang Ho Lee winning their middleweight and bantamweight matches, respectively. Tavares won by unanimous decision, while Ho Lee secured a TKO victory in under two rounds.
Ode Osbourne achieved a second-round TKO victory over Luis Gurule in a flyweight fight, handing Gurule his first professional loss and ending Osbourne`s own three-fight losing streak.
Torrez Finney started the UFC Vegas 105 main card with a split-decision win in a middleweight bout, marking his first win in the promotion.
Marcus Bellamy