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Murphy’s Law: British Fighter Passes Hurdle With Dominant Decision Win Over Edson Barboza
Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Lerone Murphy didn’t appear to be flustered while fighting a respected veteran. Edson Barboza has been the gatekeeper to contention for many young featherweight contenders. Other than one shocking moment at the end of the first round, Murphy delivered in his first main event with the promotions.

Murphy pounded Barboza with a steady stretch of striking. There was little doubt that Murphy had won when the judges’ scorecards were read. However, there were plenty of little moments for Murphy to learn from.

Right before the end of the first round, Murphy attempted to clear Barboza’s legs to throw strikes while Barboza was on the ground. However, Barboza threw an upkick that landed flush on Murphy’s face and nearly knocked him out cold.

MMAfighting latest news shows that Murphy also got a crash course on finishing an opponent with a strong chin. Murphy landed 259 punches during the fight, which was the most Barboza had ever taken during his career. Murphy didn’t strike the body as much as he could have.

But Murphy’s missteps didn’t detract from his masterful performance. Murphy mixed in four takedowns to support his striking. He will be a problem for any future opponents.

Harris Hurt by Khaos

Khaos Williams reminded everyone about the power he carries in his hands. When Williams, 26, entered the UFC in 2020, he disposed of his first two opponents in the first round. Since his last first-round stoppage over Abdul Razak Alhassen, Williams has had mixed results and let too many fights go to the scorecards.

In Williams’ previous two fights before the contest with Carlston Harris on Saturday, he was involved in two split decisions. But Williams didn’t have to worry about the scorecards this time around. Harris decided to try to fight Williams from the pocket.

Williams delivered a few stiff shots that finished Harris for good only 90 seconds into the fight. 

Gorimbo Wins Hug Fest

Themba Gorimbo turned in a bizarre performance during his welterweight fight with Ramiz Brahimaj. While spending time in the octagon, Gorimbo opted to fight mostly from the clinch and attempt the same inside trip takedown repeatedly. Brahimaj, who is a good grappler, didn’t do much to defend what Gorimbo was doing.

What resulted was the two men being trapped along the cage and battling for position for most of the fight. Gorimbo won a unanimous 30-27 win. During the post-fight interview, Gorimbo spent a bizarre amount of time attacking internet trolls.

Gorimbo was upset that people had made fun of him online after crying during the media today talking about the death of his coach’s mom. He was also disappointed in his performance when he had promised a spectacular victory.

Yanez Picks Up Easy With With Vicious Beatdown

Consecutive knockout losses had Adrian Yanez’s career heading in the wrong direction. But Yanez believed he could turn things around during his bantamweight win over Vinicius Salvador. Starting with a right-hand counter shot, Yanez dropped Salvador to the mat about halfway through the first round.

When Salvador hit the canvas, Yanez gave him no time to survive. Yanez immediately followed up with more than ten unanswered ground strikes to force the referee to hop in and save Salvador.

Angela Hill Locks Up First Career Submission

Angela Hill should be an inspiration to any person in their late 30s. MMAfighting latest news shows that Hill has faced plenty of adversity during her UFC career. But Hill has never quit training.

Nor has Hill ever stopped taking tough fights for the promotion. What is amazing about Hill’s win over Luana Pinheiro is that she did something she’s never done before. Hill locked up a guillotine choke in the second round to pick up a win and a performance of the night bonus.

Hill was mostly viewed as a volume striker without much power. She didn’t need those skills this time around, Hill showed she could grapple and picked up an impressive victory.

Tom Nolan Doesn’t Wilt Under Pressure

Australian fighter Tom Nolan was a big favorite to beat Victor Martinez. But MMA news sites show that Nolan needed to be taught a lesson before he could finish the fight. Early in the first round, Nolan mostly built a lead on the scorecard by fighting from distance.

However, Martinez was able to catch Nolan with a hook to put him on the canvas. Nolan was able to quickly work back to his feet. When Martinez came forward again, Nolan hit him with a knee to the body that put him down for good at the 3:50 mark of the first round.

Sy Proves French Fighters Can Grapple

Tuco Tokkos was busy talking smack during his light heavyweight fight with French fighter Oumar Sy. Tokkos believed that Sy was already getting tired from attempting to wrestle so much in the first round. But Tokkos should have been paying more attention to what Sy was doing.

Sy scored several takedowns and was able to work his way to Tukkos’ back. Sy wrapped up a first-round submission win by face crank.

Gatto Gets Unorthodox Victory

Mixed martial arts is a sport that tends to produce strange finishes to fights. With so many styles mixing together, it’s hard to predict how fights will end. Melissa Gatto is primarily known for her grappling.

However, Gatto stopped a two-fight losing streak using her striking against Tamires Vidal. Gatto punched Vidal in the chest, causing Vidal to wince in pain and turn toward the referee. Gatto followed up with several strikes to end the fight.

Here’s a look at the rest of the fights not listed above:

  • Middleweight, Abus Magomedov win by decision over Warlley Alves, 30-26 (x3)
  • Women’s strawweight, Ariane Carnelossi win by disqualification (headbutts) over Piera Rodriguez, Round 2 3:16
  • Bantamweight, Alateng Heili win by decision over Kleysdon Rodrigues, 30-27 (x2), 29-28
  • Women’s strawweight, Vanessa Demopolous by split decision over Emily Ducote, 29-28 (x3, two for Demopolous, one for Ducote).

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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