Lerone Murphy has the biggest opportunity of his career lined up for Aug. 16 against promotional newcomer Aaron Pico at UFC 319.
Competing in the promotion’s big return to Chicago wasn’t initially part of Murphy’s summer plans. Top-ranked featherweight contender Movsar Evloev was instead tasked with welcoming Pico to the Octagon, however Evloev was ultimately forced to withdraw from the bout with an undisclosed injury. Speaking to Uncrowned on Monday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Murphy revealed that he was offered the matchup on short notice only a matter of days ago, yet he was fully on board with it immediately.
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“It’s going to bring good eyes to me and it’s a big opportunity for me now, in the position I’m in, to make some noise and try to get that No. 1 spot,” Murphy explained. “A fighter like me, who’s quiet and whatnot, I’ve got to take these chances. They’re not going to give me nothing for free.
“A fight’s a fight. For me, I’m going in there with no pressure. Don’t get it twisted, he’s coming from another organization, but this kid’s good. This kid’s high level. I believe this is like a championship-level fight. He’s good enough to compete with anyone in that division, especially in the top 10. So yeah, I think it’s a big fight, it’s a big stop to tick.”
Murphy, 34, joins the fast-growing list of UFC stalwarts to receive the honor of tackling one of the promotion’s big-name acquisitions from the PFL-Bellator merger. Before Pico made the jump, his fellow former Bellator standouts Patchy Mix and Patricio Pitbull notably floundered in their UFC debuts.
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Despite Pico’s lack of comparative experience to those two, Murphy doesn’t want to discredit his next obstacle. The Brit also saw no reason to refuse the fight just because Pico has yet to debut.
“He’s fought some good guys, to be fair, but definitely not the level of guys I’ve fought,” Murphy said. “I’ve fought better fighters than he has, so I think I’ve got the edge in experience. But yeah, he’s wrestled from [early childhood] as well, so a fight’s a fight. I’ve been in there with the best of the guys, and I’ll be ready for Aaron Pico. Simple.
“The game’s the game. Listen, from a business perspective, people would probably have said, ‘You shouldn’t take the fight, sit out and wait for a big opportunity.’ But it’s like, for me, I think this is a big opportunity. I just want to fight as well, bro. I’m not getting no younger. I just want to stay active, I want to fight. Everybody else seems to get surgery and whatnot. Do I want to be sat out waiting until December, November? No, I don’t. I’m ready to go now. So, whoever, whenever.
“If I believe I can be champion, I’ve got to be able to fight anybody in any given moment, and that’s it for me,” Murphy continued. “We took the fight. I know it’s a tough fight. I know it’s a dangerous fight. Big risk, big reward, isn’t it? Simple. I’m happy and I’m excited.”
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As a UFC newcomer, Pico still finds himself in a massive spot with the late opponent switch, switching from one undefeated top featherweight contender to another. Like Evloev, Murphy has long been on a tear, winning 16 of his 17 career bouts, with the lone non-victory coming in the form of a draw six years ago in his UFC debut.
Yet Murphy’s winning streak hasn’t yet put him at the forefront of title talks. For “The Miracle,” he believes that’s more a sign of the times than a knock on his talent.
“I feel like MMA nowadays is like the WWE. You’ve got to have it all,” Murphy said. “You’ve got to have the acting skills, there’s a lot that comes with the game.
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“It’s not just about who’s the best fighter. If it was, there’s a lot of guys that would have fought for the title a long time ago. It’s about who’s the fan favorite, and you see other guys in the division getting big, fast pushes. I fought two main events, beat two guys in main events. Two five-rounders. Three guys in the top 15, and I’ve still got to fight these people [like Pico]. So that just goes to show, if you’re a fan favorite, you get fast-tracked. It’s business, I get it.”
Murphy believes the same logic can be applied to Evloev and how he was lined up with Pico despite being the No. 1-ranked contender. As successful as Evloev has been, his lack of a finishes in his nine UFC fights has led to speculation that the UFC wants to see him be more exciting before he gets a title shot.
But Murphy sees the potential to leapfrog the heap and get a title shot of his own if he takes out Pico. Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is among the current crop of titleholders still waiting to get their next title defense, which only gives Murphy more confidence he can make waves with an impactful performance.
If nothing else, UFC 319 provides a good spotlight that the Brit intends to capitalize on.
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“I just explained the game,” Murphy said. “When you look at it from the UFC’s perspective, it’s like, who’s going to sell the pay-per-views? It’s a business, and who’s going to pay to see Volkanovski vs. Evloev? I personally would like to see it, but most people probably won’t. They’ll probably want to see the Diego Lopeses, the Jean Silvas. These guys that have got a bit of hype. The game’s the game, isn’t it? And if it goes off [merit], maybe Evloev should have gotten the title, but he’s just pulled out of this fight here, another opportunity, so it’s going to be a long road for him.
“I think this fight’s going to be a fire fight. I think we’re both going to show our weight in gold and I believe this is the No. 1 contender fight. That was the No. 1 contender fight, Evloev and Pico, 100%. And obviously UFC want more U.S. champions, I believe. They’ve got one U.S. champion now at the moment.
“I know if I go out there and do what I need to do, do what I know I can do, everybody’s going to be screaming for my shot.”
