The UFC/MMA Thread

[BouncerGuy]

Fighting Murphy next is a no-brainer - Volkanovski

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski says it would be a "no-brainer" to stage his next title defence being against Britain's Lerone Murphy.

Manchester's Murphy thrust himself into contention for a championship bout by knocking out Aaron Pico with a sensational spinning back elbow at UFC 319 on Saturday.

Murphy, who is sixth in the UFC's featherweight rankings and took the fight at three weeks' notice, extended the winning start to his career to 17.

It was the 34-year-old's ninth straight victory in the UFC since debuting in the promotion in 2019.

"You couldn't have scripted it any better. You get a guy who goes in and does a massive knockout like that on a big card, on a nine-fight win streak - I think it's a bit of a no-brainer," Volkanovski said on YouTube., external

"December is looking good, let's make it happen. Lerone Murphy, congratulations, see you soon."

Murphy replaced Russian Movsar Evloev for the bout against American Pico after he withdrew from the contest for undisclosed reasons.

Australian Volkanovski said Evloev, who is also undefeated in 19 fights, would have been the number one contender had be beaten Pico, but Murphy has now leapfrogged him.

Volkanovski, 36, is a two-time featherweight champion and regarded as one of the best of all time in that weight class.

He made five title defences before defeat by Ilia Topuria last year, but regained the belt by defeating Diego Lopes in April.

Despite his undefeated record, Murphy's reserved personality in comparison to some of his brash peers means he has sometimes failed to get due credit for his work in the octagon.

A lack of highlight reel moments, with Murphy earning five straight decision wins before facing Pico, also affected his star power but opinion has started to shift following his spinning elbow knockout.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Edwards channels brother's stunning head kick KO in win

Fabian Edwards won the Professional Fighters League middleweight tournament and $500,000 (£369,000) prize with a stunning head kick knockout of Dalton Rosta in Hollywood, Florida.

After a back-and-forth two rounds, Birmingham's Edwards unleashed a left high kick, sending the American crashing to the ground as the referee waved off the contest.

The move mirrored his older brother Leon, who stopped Kamaru Usman in 2022 with the same kick in stunning fashion to win the UFC welterweight title.

Leon was cage-side for 32-year-old Edwards' win and gleefully joined his brother in the post-fight celebrations.

"That is crazy. God's got a funny way of working," said Edwards, after being informed his brother's knockout happened almost three years ago to the day.

"I said to my brother, 'I'm going to try that shot'. I do that shot well in the gym, and it worked beautifully."

Edwards' is the second Briton to win a PFL tournament inside a week following Alfie Davis' lightweight tournament victory last week.

He is also the fourth Briton in total to triumph following Brendan Loughnane's featherweight win in 2022 and Dakota Ditcheva's women's flyweight success last year.

'I've worked so hard'

Edwards said pre-fight he was viewing the tournament final as a world championship bout after losing contests for the Bellator middleweight belt, now rebranded as the PFL title, to Johnny Eblen in 2023 and 2024.

Following his loss to American Eblen in October, Edwards built momentum again this year with wins over Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira to reach the final.

Edwards started well with leg kicks, before Rosta, 29, ended the first round on top after landing a couple of takedowns.

Rosta hurt Edwards at the start of the second round with a flurry of punches but the Briton recovered and the round played out with the pair grappling for position against the side of the cage.

Leon was heading for defeat on points when he stopped Usman in the final round three years ago, and although Edwards' victory was not as last-gasp and dramatic, it was every bit as rousing.

After delivering the final blow, Edwards was mobbed by his team-mates before he dropped to the ground in tears, saying: "I've worked so hard."

An emotional Edwards was announced as the tournament winner before facing off with PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis, who beat Eblen last month.

The PFL then announced Edwards and Spain's Van Steenis would compete for the belt in a fight which is to be announced at a date later this year.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Wales' Jones impresses in comeback stoppage

Wales' Mason Jones recovered from an early knockdown to stop Bolaji Oki in the second round of their lightweight contest at UFC Paris.

Jones, 30, took control of the bout after the early scare, dominating on the ground to eventually finish the contest with a number of unanswered strikes.

The victory continues a triumphant return to the UFC for Jones, who beat Jeremy Stephens in May after nearly three years away from the promotion.

"I don't think I was hurt, I started slow. It happens, but I put it on him. He slowed down and I didn't," said Jones.

"The wrestling was plan B. I like to cause damage - I would have liked to stay standing for a bit longer, but he wanted to wrestle so I showed him how to wrestle."

Jones lost two of his three fights during his first stint in the UFC, but after a spell in Cage Warriors, has returned more assured with two impressive victories.

Following the retirement of Jack Shore last year, Jones is now spearheading Welsh MMA in the UFC, in front of welterweight Oban Elliott and strawweight Cory McKenna.

After refusing to touch gloves with Belgian Oki at the start of the fight, Jones was on the receiving end of some huge punches, before finding himself defending on the ground.

He got back to his feet and avoided more damage, before taking control as Oki started to slow down.

Jones knocked the 29-year-old down before engaging on the canvas and almost finishing the contest with a kimura.

Oki survived, but he could not fend off Jones in the second round as he secured a takedown before ending the fight with a number of strikes on the ground.

In the main event, France's Nassourdine Imavov beat Brazil's Caio Borralho by unanimous decision, before calling for a title shot against Russian champion Khamzat Chimaev.

McKee loses but Patterson earns streak KO

Elsewhere on the main card, Ballymena's Rhys McKee lost to France's Axel Sola in the third round.

In a back-and-forth contest, Sola dropped McKee with a body shot, before the referee stopped the contest on the ground.

McKee protested the stoppage after seeming to recover quickly, but the defeat leaves the 29-year-old with five defeats from six UFC fights.

It was a bitter blow for the welterweight, whose momentum has been halted once more after earning his first UFC win against Daniel Frunza in April.

On the undercard, Britain's Sam Patterson continued the impressive start to his UFC career as a flurry of punches stopped American Trey Waters in the first round.

The victory was Patterson's fourth consecutive first-round finish which is the current longest streak in the UFC.

Fellow Briton Harry Hardwick suffered defeat, however, as a series of leg kicks from Kaue Fernandes left the 30-year-old unable to continue.

Hardwick, who is the Cage Warriors featherweight champion, was making his UFC debut and took the bout at only five days' notice.

There was also defeat for Ireland's Shauna Bannon as she submitted to a rear-naked choke by Sam Hughes in the second round of their strawweight contest

BBC