Lerone Murphy thrust himself into featherweight title contention with a spectacular spinning back elbow knockout of Aaron Pico in the first round at UFC 319 in Chicago. The Manchester fighter's stunning finish came after taking the bout on just three weeks' notice, extending his perfect professional record to 17 wins.
The 34-year-old used Pico's aggressive forward pressure against him, spinning into a perfectly timed elbow that sent the American crashing to the canvas. Murphy's breakthrough performance finally delivered the highlight-reel moment that had eluded him through eight previous UFC decision victories.
"This sport's all about moments and I just created one," Murphy said. "I needed something like this. I took the fight on three weeks' notice, I believed in myself, I knew the opportunity was there. I'm next in line - let's go Volkanovski."
British breakthrough night
UFC president Dana White immediately awarded Murphy a £36,900 performance bonus for stepping up on short notice. Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier endorsed Murphy for an immediate title shot against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Fellow Briton Michael 'Venom' Page also impressed on the same card, outpointing ninth-ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier. The 38-year-old knocked down Cannonier twice while showcasing his trademark speed and elusiveness in a 29-28 decision victory.
Page's win moved him closer to his stated goal of capturing a world title before retiring from mixed martial arts. The veteran fighter combined his showboating style with effective striking to secure his second consecutive middleweight victory.
Record-breaking dominance
The main event saw Khamzat Chimaev deliver one of the most dominant performances in UFC history against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. The undefeated Russian overwhelmed the South African with a historic 529 strikes landed compared to du Plessis' mere 45.
Chimaev controlled over 21 minutes of the five-round bout on the ground, with all three judges scoring the contest 50-44 in his favour. His strike total set a new UFC record for a single fight, surpassing the previous mark in devastating fashion.
The victory marked Chimaev's first UFC title after previous fights were cancelled due to illness, injuries and visa issues related to his ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The 31-year-old credited President Donald Trump for securing his visa to compete in the United States.
Sources used: "PA Media", "BBC", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
