Athletes
Lerone Murphy Is Ready To Earn His Title Shot
Undefeated English Featherweight Contender Wants To Make An Undeniable Case For A Title Fight With A Victory Over One Of The Division’s Hardest Hitters.
If things had turned out a little differently, Lerone Murphy could easily have been fighting in front of 18,000 fans at The O2 Arena in his homeland. Instead, he’s set to compete in the intimate surrounds of the UFC APEX.
The stage may be smaller and more understated, but the career stakes for “The Miracle” are as high as they’ve ever been.
That’s because the undefeated English featherweight contender has been handed a five-round main event clash with hard-hitting contender Josh Emmett in a Las Vegas headliner with major title implications at 145 pounds.
For the 33-year-old Mancunian, it’s exactly where he needs to be.
“For me, I trust in the UFC and I trust what plans they’ve got and how they're matching these fights, and where they're matching these fights,” said Murphy ahead of his bout this weekend.
“I know a five-round fight will prepare me for a championship fight, so it is what it is.
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“Obviously, I would love to fight at home. My family can come and whatnot, and it would have been good to do this (fight) in front of a crowd, too.
“But this is business. This is work. I’ve just gotta go out there and get the job done.”
The Incredible Journey Of Lerone Murphy
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The Incredible Journey Of Lerone Murphy
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While chatting to UFC.com, you could see an eagerness to Murphy’s responses. It’s not nervous impatience. Instead, it’s a calm anticipation for what’s to come when he makes the walk to the Octagon for the ninth time.
“I’m just ready to get in there now; it's been a long camp,” he admitted.
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“I feel like I've been training for a while for this fight now. So I'm just looking forward to getting in there now. It’s just a few days away. Time to compete.”
Another reason why Murphy seemed so content and at ease ahead of his latest test is the knowledge that the UFC have given him exactly what he asked for.
After his unanimous decision victory over Dan Ige at UFC 308 last October, Murphy used his post-fight interview to call for a bout against Emmett, and the UFC matchmakers have duly obliged.
For Murphy, trash talk and heated rivalry couldn’t be further from the matchup. This is simply a case of a talented contender wanting to prove his championship credentials by facing, and defeating, one of the toughest, most respected contenders in the division.
FREE FIGHTS: Emmett vs Mitchell | Murphy vs Barboza
“For me, I want to fight the best in the world. That's what I'm about,” he said.
“I want to look back on my career and say I've been in there with the best guys, and that's the only reason I called him out.
The Incredible Journey Of Lerone Murphy
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The Incredible Journey Of Lerone Murphy
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“I want to be in there with the best. I want to test myself, and obviously I want to be champion. I know Ilia Topuria beat him and went on to fight for the title, so I want to do the same.”
Murphy got the opponent he wanted, and got an added bonus when he was told it would be a five-round main event.
For Murphy, it’s the chance to show the world that he’s championship caliber, and more than capable of performing over the 25-minute duration.
“I believe I'm a five-round fighter,” he said.
“I'm probably better over five rounds. But, to me, it doesn't really matter if it's a three-round (or a) five-round fight. A fight’s a fight.”
With all the pieces in place, all that remains for Murphy is to step into the Octagon and perform, and his eyes lit up when we asked him about the stylistic clash between himself and Emmett.
“It's a great matchup, isn’t it?!” he enthused.
“He comes to fight. He's a banger and he can wrestle, too. I believe I can do the same. So it's two lions in there. You've never seen Josh Emmett quit. You've never seen me quit. And I believe that creates a great fight.
Day Off | Lerone Murphy
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Day Off | Lerone Murphy
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“I would say he holds the power advantage, and I believe I hold the skill advantage, and I'm probably a bit faster too.
“So we’ll see where it goes.”
It’s also a fight that sees Murphy step into the main event spotlight for the second time in his UFC career. His first Octagon headliner saw him claim a unanimous decision victory over dangerous veteran Edson Barboza.
Now, after a subsequent win over Dan Ige at UFC 308, Murphy is back at the UFC APEX for another main event, this time as a Top 10 contender in the division.
“This game is just about being consistent and getting them reps in,” he said.
“Obviously, Ige and Barboza are two very big names, and then Josh Emmett is probably even bigger than that at the minute. So, for me, yeah, it's just (my job to) keep racking up these wins, and the goal remains the same, regardless.
“I know some of the circumstances that I overcame (against Ige) and I still went on to win. So I know I can compete with the best in the world – I've always known that – I just needed a consistent run.
“I’m looking forward to this fight. I think Josh Emmett will bring the best out in me. Obviously, everybody knows how good he is, and I need to perform on the night.”
Everything Murphy does is all designed with one aim in mind – to become UFC featherweight champion. And he said that an impressive victory over Emmett could be enough to force him into the title picture at 145 pounds.
“I believe this is a number-one contender fight in my eye,” he said.
“I believe that, outside of the two that are fighting (for the title), we’re the next best two. So, I believe the winner of this goes on to fight for the championship.”
And the chance to win a UFC championship and follow in the footsteps of Michael Bisping, Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall would mean the world to the Manchester native, who would love to spearhead the next generation of UK stars who are ready to explode onto the world stage in the coming years.
“It's great to be a part of it,” he said.
“I believe this sport has grown massively in the UK, and we've got so many young talents coming up, more than ever, so it's good to be a part of it.
“I just want to be champion now. I want to cement my legacy, my name.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5, 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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