Lerone Murphy and Josh Emmett played matador and bull on Saturday. Emmett’s pressure was constant, but his ineffective offense failed to sway the judges at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
Emmett vs. Murphy played out as most pundits expected. Murphy weaponized technical boxing and footwork as Emmett threw power punches and leaned on his wrestling background. More often than not, Emmett failed to corner his opponent. Murphy successfully avoided danger zones and racked up a higher tally of strikes.
Emmett was busted open early in the round from a clash of heads and sported multiple cuts by the 25-minute mark. Emmett’s biggest moment came in Round 2, where he lifted Murphy sky-high and planted him with a serious thud.
A frustrated Emmett made a major tactical error in Round 5. The marauder started showboating and provoking Murphy, accusing his opponent of fleeing. When Emmett pointed to the ground, Murphy stumbled him with a stiff right hand. The judge’s scorecards were all over the place, but two judges had Murphy ahead three rounds to one at the start of Round 5, putting Emmett at a nearly impossible deficit. Murphy was ultimately awarded a unanimous decision with scores reading 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.
“16-0! 16-0! What? What? Easy work!” an agitated Murphy said post-fight as the crowd booed him. “I had to fight my game. It was dangerous work. He has one-punch knockout power. You have to fight a certain fight at a top level. I couldn’t make any mistakes. I was knocked down in my last fight and had to make it right.
“I want the title, but give me anyone in the top three or five. I’ll be ready to go in July.”
Murphy improved to 16-0-1, keeping his undefeated record intact. Emmett (19-5) has lost three of his last four fights. Murphy (No. 10) will likely move up the UFC’s official featherweight rankings on Monday at Emmett’s (No. 8) expense.
