Round one begins and the pair spend the first minute feeling one another out.
Movsar Evloev tries for a big overhand but gets nothing from it, and Lerone Murphy pushes him back with the threat of a kick. Evloev front kicks Murphy and send him back into the cage, and delivers a left kick to the gut. Murphy tries to come forward but gets another front kick to the body.
Round one comes to an end with Evloev trying a cheeky spinning backfist.
Round two begins with Murphy fighting on the outside, swerving away from Evloev and attempting sweeping punches. Evloev goes for a kick, Murphy catches the leg and sends him to the ground but he recovers. They trade overhands to rock one another.
Murphy gets another accurate right straight to the face of Evloev, but Evloev continues to close the distance and go for the overhand. Murphy hits a swift three-punch combo to the body and face, though the third punch catches more glove than face.
Murphy is getting the better of exchanges, with Evloev looking to find the jaw only to get kicks to the body, legs, and follow-up punches to the head as the round comes to an end.
Round three begins and Evloev is closing the distance before Murphy gets the better of the stand-up exchange. Murphy throws a left kick but Evloev catches it and gets the immediate takedown. But Murphy manages to get out of it.
Evloev continues to come forward but the referee calls official time out after he kicks below Murphy’s belt. The fight resumes and Murphy hits a spinning wheel kick to the head of Evloev.
Evloev keeps trying to come forward only to get stinging body kicks and left straights for his troubles. Evloev lands a solid right hand to the chin of Murphy and has him wobbled for the first time, but the round comes to an end before he can find a finish.
Murphy is cut open on his brow.
Round four begins and another official time out has to be called after Evloev kicks Murphy square on the cup. Murphy is down for 40 seconds, but by a minute and two he is ready to go. Fight resumes after a minute and a half, and Evloev has a point taken away.
Evloev comes forward, Murphy catches him with a great counter but Evloev just continues to come forward. Murphy is dropped but quickly recovers. Evloev continues to come forward with jabs and straights to the head, even as Murphy looks for space at length.
Evloev shoots and gets a takedown with the waist control, and as Murphy tries to get back rolls him back down to the mat. Murphy gets back up against the cage as Evloev maintains the waist control. The stand-up resumes and Murphy fires another right kick to the body.
Evloev continues to come forward, and as Murphy goes for a kick, he kicks the other leg to drop him to the floor. Evloev has the waist control again, but the stand-up resumes as the round comes to an end.
Round five begins and Evloev sees a calf kick responded with an overhand. Evloev tries a spinning backfist again after seeing a kick caught. He continues to come forward and gets the takedown in the middle of the cage. Murphy rolls and looks for the kneebar, but Evloev returns to control over Murphy and continues to leather him with shots in the process.
Murphy gets up to the cheer of the crowd but continues to be taken down by Evloev. Murphy looks shattered. But the stand-up resumes.
Murphy is trading quantity for quality with Evloev as he lands two significant strikes to a flurry from his opponent. Evloev still continues to come forward and gets the takedown after Murphy goes for a spinning attack. Evloev wrestles Murphy back down to the ground.
The stand-up looks to resume but there is no time left and the bout comes to an end.
Movsar Evloev def. Lerone Murphy via Majority Decision (48-46; 48-46; 47-47)
Evloev says UFC has no excuse not to give him a shot at Alexander Volkanovski’s Featherweight Championship, and to help his case a graphic shows he is second only to Islam Makhachev in terms of active win streaks.
Murphy apologizes to the crowd for letting them down, continues to say that Evloev deserves his title shot, and he will be back in the future.
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