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Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs Murphy
Take A Closer Look At The Two Featherweights Slated To Headline UFC Fight Night On Saturday Night
Featherweights take center stage inside UFC APEX on Saturday night for UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs Murphy. A combined 21 knockouts between Edson Barboza and Lerone Murphy are proof that Saturday’s event is must-see TV.
Before these two step in the Octagon, let’s take a closer look at the numbers that could determine the winner of Saturday’s main event.
Edson Barboza
Brazil’s Barboza is no stranger to the UFC spotlight, as he makes the walk to the UFC Octagon for the 30th time this weekend. This bout against Murphy marks Barboza’s second main event in a row, after he defeated Sodiq Yusuf last October, a bout that received UFC Honors’ Comeback of the Year award for 2023.
When it comes to experience, there’s no doubt Barboza is the veteran in the matchup. He made his debut back in 2010 at UFC 123 and did so in the lightweight division. In 2020, Barboza made the move down to featherweight, making his 145-pound debut against Dan Ige. “Junior” is known to have an exciting style inside the Octagon, as he scored the first wheel kick knockout in UFC history. He’s secured 14 of his 24 wins by knockout, eight first-round finishes and is tied with Dustin Poirier for the most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history, with nine.
Lerone Murphy
The 32-year-old featherweight enters his first UFC main event this weekend. “The Miracle” has been a fun fighter to watch in the Octagon since he first made his debut at UFC 242 in 2019. His first fight against Zubaira Tukhogov ended in a draw, but since then, Murphy has earned wins in each of his five fights, two by knockout and three by decision.
Murphy holds a 13-0-1 record, seven of those wins coming by knockout, with six first-round finishes. Murphy was slated to face Ige earlier, but that fight ended up getting canceled, and with Barboza sitting at No. 12 in the featherweight rankings, this is a big step up in competition and a chance for Murphy to secure a number next to his name.
Meeting In The Middle
On paper, Barboza and Murphy have similar numbers heading into the matchup. Barboza’s average fight time is 11:45, while Murphy’s is 11:35, but it will be interesting to see how Murphy adapts to the extra two rounds, if the fight makes it that far. Barboza’s style is striker, while Murphy’s style is kickboxer, so it would appear that this fight will likely play out a lot on the feet. Barboza has a 45 percent striking accuracy, landing 4.18 strikes per minute, compared to Murphy’s 50 percent striking accuracy and 3.65 per minute.
Barboza’s takedown defense is another key metric that stands out - 75 percent compared to Murphy’s 46.9 percent. Because both men are highly skilled in the striking department, the takedown averages aren’t very high, with Barboza at .48 and Murphy at 1.29 (per 15 minutes).
The 38-year-old Brazilian comes into the matchup with significantly more experience than Manchester’s Murphy, but overall, this fight has all the makings for an exciting matchup that could be bonus worthy.
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 18, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
