LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 18: England’s Lerone Murphy punches Brazil’s Edson Barboza in a featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 18, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. . (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Lerone Murphy was paired with Brazilian veteran and dangerous striker Edson Barboza in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 92 main event, looking to make a big step up in the competition.
Murphy spent the opening round headhunting, landing power shots and trying to stay out of the way of the crafty Barboza’s attacks. Barboza tackled his opponent’s lead leg, but Murphy refused to change his stance to avoid the blow. This is perhaps another manifestation of his feelings towards the Brazilian’s batting ability. In the final moments, the pair regained their form, with Barboza going to the back from the exchange, but landing an upkick that staggered Murphy and damaged his nose.
Barboza continued to slice through Murphy’s lead leg in the second run. The windup of those kicks and the power with which they landed were truly impressive. Murphy responded with a right hand, and a small amount of blood immediately trickled down the bridge of Barboza’s nose. However, Barboza was mobile enough to pivot out of harm’s way and begin cutting the outside of Murphy’s leg.
The story changed a bit and Murphy lunged for a double leg attempt. He tried to turn the corner and forced Barboza to his knees, but Barboza quickly got back to his feet, although he was warned to hold on to the fence on the way. But Murphy clips Barboza with a right! Barboza was attacked with his back against the fence and looked a little unsteady. Good boxing from Murphy and he adds an elbow. Barboza then missed a kick attempt, allowing Murphy to clinch and fire his knee.
Barboza got the center early in the third. He started to slow down but was still working Murphy’s legs. Barboza landed a kick to the body, but Murphy, who was starting to mix in stance switches, worked his hands again, then shot and scored a takedown, forcing Barboza into a clinch. Barboza looked increasingly exhausted as the round progressed, and Murphy began to pick his shots, landing multiple strikes in combinations with just over a minute left. Barboza hung on to buy time, but the momentum was firmly on Lerone Murphy’s side. At the end of the round, it was Murphy, not Barboza, who landed a clearly fluid roundhouse kick.
Early in the fourth round, Murphy was cautioned for having an extended finger. it doesn’t matter. The break was short and not enough for Barboza to recover much. Murphy, on the other hand, was much better in the striking department, both in terms of amount of strikes and significant strikes. This time Murphy landed a calf kick. Barboza’s kicks still had snap, but the difference in volume made Barboza look like a babbling brook compared to Murphy’s Niagara Falls. Both men were bleeding from around their noses as a result of effective jabs.
In the fifth and final round, Edson Barboza was clearly down and needed a finish. It remains to be seen whether he can pull a particularly destructive rabbit out of his hat. About a minute into the fight, Murphy landed a bodylock from behind against the fence, but Barboza shook him off but returned to the center. With about 90 seconds left and Barboza’s time rapidly winding down in the round, especially with a barrage of strikes to the head, Murphy gave him some semblance of mercy and scored a takedown. Barboza will recover, but there was no miracle for him in Las Vegas on Saturday, no come-from-behind victory. Instead, there was a dominant performance from “Miracle” Lerone Murphy, who established herself as a featherweight to watch at UFC Vegas 92.
Official result: Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
