Stepping in on Short Notice: Can Lerone Murphy Put Himself in Title Contention with a Co-Main Win?
With Movsar Evloev withdrawing from his fight against debuting Aaron Pico, the UFC had a huge hole to fill for UFC 319. With the main event being the focal point of the PPV, the UFC couldn’t afford to lose a matchup of this magnitude. Therefore, stepping in on short notice, Lerone Murphy puts his 16-0 record on the line as he looks to make a name for himself in the Featherweight Division and put his name in line for Alexander Volkanoski’s Featherweight Championship. Can Lerone Murphy stake his claim for a title shot, or will Aaron Pico show why he was arguably the greatest prospect in MMA history?
Aaron Pico is 28 years old and looks to be reaching his peak of potential. Even though he never held a title in Bellator, he was always viewed as one of the best and someone who one day could find himself in the UFC among the best. He has ample accolades in both amateur wrestling and boxing. Even though Evloev is looked at by most to be the number one contender in the Featherweight Division, that was an easier matchup for Pico. Evloev is a heavy wrestling-based wrestler with little grappling ability. Pico has as good a chance as anyone to keep the fight on the feet, and his boxing surpasses Evloev's. In a crisp striker who’s hard to hit and has good takedown defense, Pico is going to have to outwork Murphy and put him in positions he’s not accustomed to to get him uncomfortable in this fight. He can’t let Murphy sit back and pick him apart; he needs to be in his face and use his aggressive striking to get in close and shoot for takedowns. If he can get this fight to the ground, he will be able to wear Murphy down, who doesn’t have the best cardio, and on the ground, he could land serious damage and look for potential finishing opportunities.
Lerone Murphy is coming off his most impressive victory so far in his career, as he was able to beat Josh Emmett last April in a five-round main event fight. He showcased his elite striker and defensive abilities to stay away from Emmet’s power, showing that he is hard to take down and practically impossible to control. If he can keep this fight on the feet and circle away like he always does, he will be able to pick Pico apart. He has exceptional reaction timing and could catch Pico coming in when he closes the distance and tries to take him down. The more he does, the less tempted Pico will be to continue shooting. Unlike how others from Bellator have recently performed in their debut fights, I think Pico won’t be star-struck from the moment and will showcase his skills, putting together a very competitive fight. So, Murphy needs to be prepared for his best.
This fight has a lot on the line in a wide-open Featherweight Division. Volkanoski right now does not have an opponent lined up for him, so anyone with an impressive victory could slide their way into contention. Both of these fighters have something to market if they were to win, Murphy being undefeated and on the rise, and Pico being a hyped up prospect from Bellator who wants to prove everyone right. Whichever way this fight goes, it should be an exciting co-main event and perfectly set up the title fight in the fight that follows. Don’t miss out on all the action on August 16th for UFC 319.
