LAS VEGAS – Lerone Murphy is aware of that ultimately, there comes a degree the place successful solves every part, and that’s the mentality he brings into Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 65 headliner vs. Josh Emmett.
Murphy (15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) has by no means misplaced a combat up to now in his profession, and he intends to maintain that streak going when he takes on Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a five-round featherweight headliner on the UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+). It’s a combat he particularly requested for after beating Dan Ige in October, and now he desires to indicate the promotion it made the fitting name granting his want.
“It’s an enormous problem,” Emmett outdated reporters, together with MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 64 media day. “Greatest problem of my profession to this point, however I’m prepared for that and I’ve educated exhausting for this. So the end result would be the consequence. That’s it. Easy as that. I didn’t ask for this combat for no motive. I requested for the combat as a result of I do know Josh Emmett’s a warrior. I understand how good he’s and I do know that’ll carry the perfect out of me.”
The timing of the combat couldn’t be a lot better for Murphy. Only one week after his major occasion, Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will combat for the 145-pound title vacated by Ilia Topuria after they meet within the UFC 314 headliner on April 12 in Miami.
It’s Murphy’s intentions to indicate he’s the fitting man to problem whoever the brand new champion is.
“Ilia Topuria went on to combat for the title after Josh Emmett, so for me, it is a No. 1 contender combat,” Murphy stated. “I really feel like behind Lopes and Volkanovski, who’re preventing the week after, I believe that is the perfect combat within the division. For me, that is the No. 1 contender combat. I’m wanting ahead to it.”
What Murphy, 33, thinks about his positioning in comparison with how the UFC brass and followers view him are two totally various things, although. Murphy stated he understands this, and up to now he has struggled a bit to achieve traction the place it arguably means probably the most.
Murphy refuses to promote out and showcase himself as something aside from what his core useful signify, although. If meaning it takes him a little bit longer to get the place he desires to be, then the Brit stated he can stay with that.
“I’m right here to offer for my household and get that title and I don’t actually care about the rest,” Murphy stated. “Nevertheless it’s in all probability as a result of I’m quiet and reserved. That’s the one factor I can put that too, as a result of if anyone else, particularly within the UK, any of the UK fighters had the file I had and beat who I’ve beat, you then already know. It’s what it’s although.”
“I’m all the time going to be me. I’m by no means going to be faux. I could possibly be faux and be an actor, however I’m all the time going to stay to what feels good for me. I’m simply going to let my preventing do the speaking and hold stacking up these wins, and absolutely after a bit, everybody will get behind me.”
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