Lerone Murphy feels like he was being set up to lose to Aaron Pico at UFC 319. After knocking Pico out with a KOTY spinning elbow, he’s hoping he’ll be set up for a featherweight title shot.
Murphy has been quietly amassing a nine-fight win streak in the UFC, and when Movsar Evloev couldn’t fight highly touted Bellator import Aaron Pico in Chicago, the UFC slotted him in for the fight. Did they expect him to go out there and ice their hot new signing? “The Miracle” doesn’t think so.
”There’s no American champions at the minute,” Murphy said on the Believe You Me podcast. “He’s got a big name. Obviously, he’s got the wrestling pedigree and all that stuff. So I feel like the UFC wanted him to be champion, otherwise they wouldn’t have put him against the No. 1 contender.”
“So for me, I was just looking at this opportunity. This kid’s got hype. They give it to me on short notice, I’ve got nothing to lose here. I just go in there, beat this kid, and I take the No. 1 spot. So I wasn’t really bothered about it, to be honest.”
Following the win, footage came out of Murphy drilling the spinning elbow that flattened Pico.
“It’s something I drilled a lot, especially with where he puts his head when he’s shot,” Murphy said. “I’m a technician. I watch a lot of tape on guys, so I understand their flaws. And I’m already seeing holes in Volkanovski that I’m gonna exploit.”
That win seemed to lock up the featherweight title shot debate. Volkanovski even declared Murphy was next up for a shot at the 145 pound belt. But as it stands, Murphy hasn’t gotten a call from the UFC confirming anything.
“I felt like I needed something like that,” he said. “A win’s a win in my eyes, but another decision win probably wouldn’t have got me a title shot. I needed something big like that … I did get told before the fight, that this fight had title implications. So that was before the fight. And obviously, I won the fight by KO, so what more can I do now?”
“The Miracle” does expect to get a call, and soon. When asked what date the fight could happen, he had a solid idea.
“December. Volk wants to fight in December,” he said. “So I think it’s gonna be Las Vegas, December. I’m waiting for a call any time now, next few weeks, to get it set in stone and then I’ll start a training camp.”