MMA Knockout

Lerone Murphy thrills UFC 319 fans with fight card's second spinning elbow knockout

"The Miracle" may be next in line for a featherweight title shot.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

Former Bellator star Aaron Pico stepped into the Octagon for the first time in a five-round co-main event against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319.

Following Carlos Prates' highlight-reel knockout against Geoff Neal in the third bout of the UFC 319 main card, Murphy incredibly managed to match the Brazilian's performance when he knocked Pico out with a spinning elbow in the opening round.

Despite being the UFC's #6-ranked featherweight contender, the undefeated Murphy actually entered UFC 319 as a small underdog against the debuting Pico.

Lerone Murphy Sleeps Aaron Pico In Chicago

Pico was originally scheduled to make his Octagon debut against Movsar Evloev last month in Abu Dhabi, but after Evloev withdrew due to injury the former Bellator star was rebooked to meet Murphy at UFC 319 in Chicago.

READ MORE: UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev free live stream results & highlights

The two featherweights came together for an early striking exchange before Pico began hunting for takedowns along the fence. The 28-year-old managed to bring Murphy to the mat twice during the opening few minutes, but he was unable to keep him there for very long on either occasion.

"The Miracle" found some success landing counter shots while Pico continued punching into takedown attempts, but the fight ended in incredibly sudden and dramatic fashion when Murphy connected with a perfect spinning elbow that absolutely flattened the UFC debutant.

READ MORE: UFC 318 fighter wins debut fight days after earning UFC contract from Dana White

The highlight-reel finish was made all the more incredible by the fact that Prates had also scored a spinning elbow knockout in the night's previous fight, and the UFC 319 main card also opened with a submission-win from Tim Elliott to score a sizeable upset over Kai Asakura.

Murphy has now won nine-straight fights following his split draw against Zubaira Tukhugov in his promotional debut in 2019, and the undefeated fighter may be next in line to challenge UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski after scoring his first stoppage-victory since 2021.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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