Lerone Murphy shuts down Emmett in UFC Vegas 105

Lerone Murphy proved once again he belongs in the upper echelon of the UFC featherweight division, outpointing veteran Josh Emmett across five rounds in the main event of UFC Vegas 105 to remain unbeaten.

The 32-year-old Brit used slick footwork, calf kicks, and precise counters to frustrate Emmett, denying the 40-year-old a fairytale comeback after 16 months on the sidelines.

Murphy’s left hand wobbled Emmett in the fifth round, while his defensive wrestling kept the American from doing any damage on the ground.

Judges scored it 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in Murphy’s favour, with the top MMA bookmakers paying $2.30 for the points victory.

“I had to fight a certain fight,” Murphy said post-fight.

“He’s a dangerous guy. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.”

Now 16-0-1, “The Miracle” has extended his win streak to eight and called for a top-five or top-three opponent next, eyeing a July return.

For Emmett, it was a missed opportunity in what he admitted could be his final title run.

The Californian fell to 1-3 in his last four fights and couldn’t land the big right hand that has defined his career.

Elsewhere on the card, undefeated prospect Torrez Finney made his long-awaited UFC debut—but not without controversy.

The wrestling-heavy middleweight edged out Robert Valentin via split decision in a bout that left fans and fellow fighters unimpressed.

Finney landed eight takedowns but threw just four significant strikes, drawing boos from the Apex crowd and outrage online over a baffling 30-27 scorecard for Valentin from judge Tony Weeks.

“I’d call that a dud performance,” Finney admitted.

“But I got the win. I’ll get better from here.”

Fight fans were far more thrilled by other performances on the night.

Flyweight Ode Osbourne earned a Performance of the Night bonus with the UFC betting sites pricing him as a $3 underdog.

Osbourne scored a spectacular second-round knockout of Luis Gurule, landing a left hand that dropped the previously unbeaten prospect mid-air.

Rhys McKee, Chang Ho Lee, and Dione Barbosa also pocketed $50k bonuses for their respective finishes.

Veteran Brad Tavares earned a decision win over Gerald Meerschaert to tie Michael Bisping for most middleweight wins in UFC history (16), while Pat Sabatini dominated Joanderson Brito with smothering grappling in the co-main.

It was a mixed night at the UFC Apex—technical brilliance at the top, brutal finishes in the middle, and a few awkward judging moments to cap it off.

But for Lerone Murphy, it was another step closer to a title shot—and a statement that he’s ready for the elite.

All focus now shifts across to UFC 314, where Australian great Alex Volkanovski will face Diego Lopes for the vacant Featherweight title bout, where Volk currently sits as the $1.68 favourite with BetOnline.

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