Alexander Volkanovski recently pulled himself back from the brink of obscurity to reclaim the UFC featherweight title in a brutal battle with Diego Lopes.
The Australian fighter already has a target on his back, with Manchester-born Lerone Murphy eyeing an ambitious crack at UFC gold.
The British star believes he deserves the chance to challenge Volkanovski for the featherweight title, but he may need to face Lopes first to earn his shot.
Volkanovski’s historic comeback
Volkanovski’s win over Lopes at the Kaseya Centre in Miami was one for the history books.
Back-to-back knockout defeats against Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria raised doubts about his prospects.
The doubters were silenced at UFC 314.
The Aussie came out fast, landing stinging jabs and brutal ground-and-pound in the first round. But Lopes did not fold.
He dropped Volkanovski with a picture-perfect right hand in the second round and cut him up under his right eye with thudding power shots.
Volkanovsk ultimately edged out Lopes in the main event, but the Brazilian bowed out with his head held high as he refused to go down without a fight.
The unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) returned Volkanovski to the throne of the featherweight division.
He made history as the first fighter under 155 pounds to win a UFC championship after the age of 35 and just the second man to recapture the featherweight title after losing it.
Volkanovski’s win was even more special, considering he had not stepped into the octagon since losing to Topuria.
He spent 14 months on the sidelines – the longest hiatus of his nine-year career.
Murphy’s impressive under-the-radar rise to stardom
While the spotlight has been on Volkanovski and Lopes, Murphy has quietly gone about his business, putting together one of the most underrated CVs in the division.
Boasting an outstanding unbeaten streak at 16-0-1, with an 8-0-1 UFC record, the Manchester-born fighter still hasn’t met his match.
Murphy’s most recent victim was American fighter Josh Emmett.
He described the duel as ‘masterful’, and that’s not far off.
The Brit dominated the five-round bout, claiming a unanimous decision win (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to record his eighth consecutive victory in the UFC.
Murphy asserted himself in the fight.
His striking defence was elite, which allowed him to pick Emmett apart with technical precision.
The win moved Murphy up two places in the featherweight rankings to eighth. That was before becoming a spectator for the headline event at UFC 314.
After the fight, Murphy didn’t hide his ambitions. “The next fight will be a number one contender fight at the very least,” he said.
Has Murphy earned a title shot?
Murphy has been consistent in the competitive featherweight division.
His unbeaten record is no small feat, and he has achieved it with composure and polish.
Most of the other top fighters have already had their title shot, and Murphy offers something different.
A scenario where both fighters have something to lose – Volkanovski with his title and Murphy with his unbeaten record – would send mixed martial arts fans into raptures.
If Murphy gets his wish and faces Volkanovski, the fight would generate massive interest in the global gambling industry.
Sportsbooks offering bonus bets in Australia would be inundated with wagers Volkanovski due to his popularity with Aussie sports bettors.
Murphy would be a popular pick among punters on the other side of the world, setting up a contest that would generate huge revenues in the betting industry.
UFC matchmaking is never purely about merit.
They also consider the rankings, momentum and marketability.
But Murphy ticks nearly every box.
He’s unbeaten, highly ranked and has just defeated a top-10 veteran.
The UFC can spin the narrative however they like.
The legend versus the undefeated rising star, old guard vs new blood, heart vs hunger or experience vs potential.
Murphy undoubtedly deserves a title shot against Volkanovski and the UFC needs to make it happen.
Picture credit: Free to use from Unsplash
Join the discussion