Murphy actually came into UFC 319 as a small underdog to the debuting Aaron Pico. After adding to his undefeated record with a sensational knockout of the former Bellator star, Murphy looks to be on the cusp of his first shot at UFC gold. <\/p>\n
Volkanovski acknowledged Murphy\u2019s performance on social media during UFC 319, and this week \u201cThe Great\u201d took to his YouTube channel <\/a>to express further interest in getting his next fight booked for later this year. <\/p>\n READ MORE: Former UFC champion books surprise comeback fight at 43 years old<\/a><\/p>\n Lerone Murphy (red gloves) fights Aaron Pico (blue gloves) during UFC 319 at United Center. \/ Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a bit of a no-brainer,\u201d Volkanovski said. \u201cDecember is looking good\u2026It makes a lot of sense, so let\u2019s do Lerone Murphy, December. Sounds great.\u201d<\/p>\n Considered by some to be the greatest featherweight in UFC history, Volkanovski first claimed the promotion\u2019s 145 lbs. belt in 2019 and went on to defend it five time before being knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 last year. <\/p>\n Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) reacts after defeating Diego Lopes (not pictured) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. \/ Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Topuria defended his title once before moving up to lightweight, which set up a vacant featherweight title fight at UFC 314 that saw Volkanovski reclaim the belt when he took a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes.<\/p>\n Murphy wasn\u2019t the originally-planned opponent for Pico\u2019s highly-anticipated UFC debut, as the former Bellator star was first booked to meet top-ranked contender Movasr Evloev in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi last month.<\/p>\n READ MORE: UFC CEO Dana White shares long-shot update regarding Jon Jones White House plans<\/a><\/p>\n A perfect 17-0 in his professional MMA career, Evloev likely could have secured a title shot of his own with a win over Pico, but hr unfortunately withdrew from UFC Abu Dhabi due to injury. That set the stage for Murphy\u2019s highlight-reel win at UFC 319, which extended the 34-year-old\u2019s own unbeaten record to 17-0-1 with nine-straight wins since he fought to a draw with Zubaira Tukhugov in his UFC debut. <\/p>\n Movsar Evloev (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Arnold Allen (red glove) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. \/ Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n \u201cThe Miracle\u201d would present a new challenge for Volkanovski after the two-time champion faced most of the UFC\u2019s featherweight elite during his first title reign, and UFC CEO Dana White also seemed onboard with the matchup<\/a> when he spoke to assembled media in the aftermath of UFC 319. <\/p>\n \u2022 Khamzat Chimaev manhandles Dricus du Plessis to claim middleweight belt at UFC 319<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 UFC 319 fighter wins debut fight days after earning UFC contract from Dana White<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Joe Rogan breaks silence on UFC\u2019s future after major change<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Conor McGregor\u2019s next UFC fight in jeopardy after latest report<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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