Lerone Murphy is looking to stake his claim as No. 1 contender at UFC Fight Night 270.
Murphy (17-0-1 MMA, 9-0-1 UFC) meets Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in the March 21 main event at The O2 in London (Paramount+).
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Murphy expected to earn a title shot after knocking out Aaron Pico on short notice at UFC 319, but he’ll now have to get through an undefeated grappling standout first. The Brit knows what type of challenge he’s up against.
“Movsar is elite, very good fighter,” Murphy said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Good everywhere to be honest, but I just believe I’m going to take him into deep waters. It’s no secret what I’m going to do. it’s going to be defensive wrestling and vicious offense, and that’s it. I’m just going to put him under pressure, and pressure him, pressure him, and make him make a mistake. I’m going to be hunting for the knockout from bell to bell.”
Murphy vs. Evloev is a no-brainer No. 1 contender bout in UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski‘s eyes, but is it really?
“Nothing’s concrete, but I hope so,” Murphy said. “The matchmakers know what type of matchup this is. … Everybody knows what type of fight this is going to be, and what type of fighter I’m fighting against. So I think the winner should be undeniably next in line for the title, simple.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC London: Lerone Murphy can’t hardly wait for Movsar Evloev fight
