LERONE MURPHY tops the bill of a stacked UFC London card this weekend.
The Manchester mauler headlines on home soil for the first time in his stint in MMA‘s top promotion at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.
Murphy, 34, will look to punch his ticket to a featherweight title shot in a pivotal showdown against fellow undefeated star Movsar Evloev.
Victory over Evloev would be Murphy’s TENTH inside the octagon and arguably the biggest of his career.
But that title is currently held by the stunning display he put on against Aaron Pico last August.
Murphy made himself a household name among casual MMA fans with a viral knockout of the former Bellator standout.
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Just over three minutes into the first round of the pair’s Chicago clash, Murphy caught the American with a stunning spinning-back elbow.
Pico, who was coming forward aggressively, collapsed in a heap and ate an academic hammer first before referee Herb Dean waved off the contest.
The United Center exploded in amazement at Murphy’s masterclass, which resulted in an immediate trip to the hospital for Pico.
The 29-year-old was taken to a nearby medical facility to undergo additional testing following initial checks by the UFC‘s on-site team.
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Pico, thankfully, was ok and was eventually released from the hospital following his additional checks.
Murphy was on cloud nine after his Chicago crushing of Pico, which saw UFC supremos Dana White and Hunter Campbell hand him a £37,000 ($50,000) bonus.
White said of the Brit’s stoppage: “It’s a weird thing to say with a guy who has a record like he has, and sits where he sits in the division, that tonight was sort of a coming-out party for him.
“But it definitely was.”
Murphy will be hoping another bonus comes his way this weekend after having his hand raised against suffocating Russian wrestler Evloev.