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Lerone Murphy | By Any Means Necessary
English Featherweight Lerone Murphy Is Excited To Welcome Aaron Pico To The UFC, And Plans To Use The Fight To Catapult Himself Into A Title Fight Later This Year.
Lerone Murphy has checked every box and passed every test so far in his mixed martial arts career. Now he plans on delivering a statement performance to put himself exactly where he wants to be – in a fight for the undisputed featherweight title.
England’s Murphy has showcased his well-rounded skillset and elite Fight IQ during nine UFC bouts that have seen him remain undefeated. Now standing with a record of 16 wins and one draw, the Manchester native is ready to welcome former Bellator standout Aaron Pico to the Octagon.
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Pico was originally set to face the division’s other highly-ranked undefeated contender, Movsar Evloev, but after that fight fell through, Murphy got the call, and he was more than happy to step in to face the American in the co-main event of UFC 319 this weekend in Chicago.
“It came at short notice – two-and-a-half weeks ago – so it came around quick, but it's been a blessing,” Murphy explained.
“I’ve not had to do a 12-week camp, so mentally, I'm not drained out. And yeah, I'm happy to be fighting on this card. It's a big card.
“I was looking at anybody in that top five, really, because I know if you beat somebody in the top five, it's a title shot (next). So was looking at any kind of matchup.
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“I thought they might give me like Diego Lopes maybe, or Yair (Rodriguez), but obviously this fight has come along. So yeah, we're here.”
At this stage in Murphy’s career, accepting a short-notice assignment isn’t an automatic decision. His goals are clear – to get to the top of the UFC’s featherweight division and capture the 145-pound title currently held by Alexander Volkanovski.
With Murphy currently sitting sixth in the official UFC featherweight rankings, he knows that only big wins, over significant opposition, will move him closer to that goal, and he feels that Pico represents that elite-level opposition he needs to move into championship contention.
“I think Aaron Pico is championship level,” he stated.
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I think he’s better than a lot of those fighters in there, and may be the best fighter I've fought so far. So, yeah, it definitely does (put me in the title mix). And Movsar was the number one contender fight, right? And I've stepped in. So if I win, it's my time.”
As soon as Pico was signed to the UFC, Murphy had eyes on the former Bellator star as a future opponent. But while he recognizes the former collegiate wrestling standout as a legitimate contender in the division, Murphy makes sure he knows exactly what’s going on at 145 pounds, from the top to the bottom of his weight class.
“I watch everyone,” he explained.
“For all the featherweight fights, even down to the Contender Series, I watch them all, because one day they can be my opponent. When the UFC signed (Pico), I knew I'd fight him sometime soon.
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“He’s an exciting talent. I’m happy he’s here. He adds some more depth to an already deep division. And yeah, he's going to bring some good fights.”
It’s a big fight, on a big card. UFC 319 has a lot of excitement around it due in large part to the huge middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev in the main event.
Murphy and Pico will provide chief support as the night’s co-main event, and Murphy said that he’s relishing the prospect of stepping out into a packed United Center and putting on a performance in front of the world in the biggest matchup of his career to date.
“Yeah, it's a big spot. Big, big, massive spot – probably the biggest spot of my career so far,” he said.
“Pay-per-view, co-main, and it's time to put on a show. It's time to show my worth.”
And, with Pico equally keen to make a big impression on his UFC debut, Murphy said he’s expecting “an exciting fight” when they meet in the center of the Octagon on Saturday night.
Day Off | Lerone Murphy
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Day Off | Lerone Murphy
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“I think Aaron Pico’s a very aggressive pressure fighter,” he said.
“He doesn't know how to take a step backwards. So I think that that creates a crazy fight.”
And in a big fight, on a big stage, Murphy said he’s ready to pick up a big win, and said he’ll do whatever’s necessary to finish the night with his hand raised.
“By any means possible,” he stated.
“I set out to have a clean performance. Obviously, I want to finish, but I set out to make him make mistakes and use my Octagon experience to get the win.”
UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev took place live from United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 16, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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