Manchester`s Lerone Murphy maintained his pristine undefeated record, delivering a dominant performance to secure a unanimous decision victory over veteran Josh Emmett at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In this highly anticipated featherweight clash between top-10 contenders, Murphy showcased superior striking and defended effectively against Emmett`s powerful wrestling throughout the grueling 25-minute bout, ultimately prevailing with impressive control and technique.
The judges` scorecards reflected Murphy`s dominance, reading 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, all decisively in his favor. This significant win extends his professional mixed martial arts record to an unblemished 16-0-1, positioning him alongside Russia`s Movsar Evloev for the longest undefeated streak in the competitive UFC featherweight division.
Following his impressive outing, a confident Murphy declared, “Easy work,” as he now sets his sights firmly on a potential featherweight title shot later this year. He further stated, expressing his ambitious intentions, “I want the title, but give me anyone in that top five, top three. Let`s go.”
Murphy emphasized his strong desire to “keep this train going” and progress towards a championship opportunity, expressing a clear aim for two more fights this year to maintain an active and challenging schedule.
Despite being ranked two spots higher at eighth in the UFC featherweight division, Josh Emmett (19-5 MMA) faced a tough return to the Octagon, marking his first fight since December 2023.
Undercard Highlights at UFC Vegas 105
The co-main event, also contested in the featherweight division, saw Pat Sabatini (20-5 MMA) deliver a thoroughly dominant performance against Joanderson Brito (17-5-1 MMA). Sabatini secured a lopsided unanimous decision with scores of 30-26, 30-26, and 30-27, largely thanks to his extensive ground control time, stifling Brito for nearly the entire duration of the fight.
Further action on the card witnessed Brad Tavares triumph in a middleweight clash against Gerald Meerschaert (37-19 MMA), while Chang Ho Lee emerged victorious in his bantamweight bout against Cortavious Romious (9-4 MMA).
Tavares (21-10 MMA) secured his win via unanimous decision after a hard-fought battle. Meanwhile, Ho Lee (11-1 MMA) wasted no time, swiftly finishing his opponent in under two rounds by quickly securing the mount position and forcing a decisive stoppage.
In a thrilling flyweight contest, Ode Osbourne made short work of Luis Gurule, delivering a spectacular second-round TKO. Osbourne (13-8 MMA) ended the fight with a powerful series of punches, not only handing Gurule (10-1 MMA) his first professional loss but also emphatically snapping Osbourne`s own three-fight losing streak.
Opening the main card for UFC Vegas 105, undefeated middleweight Torrez Finney (11-0 MMA) earned his inaugural UFC victory with a hard-fought split-decision win over Robert Valentin (10-5 MMA), marking a successful promotional debut.
