Alexander Volkanovski has named the fighter he’ll defend his title against later this year.
The reigning featherweight champion was an interested observer of the UFC 319 co-main event.
16-0-1 contender Lerone Murphy squared off against Aaron Pico, who made his eagerly anticipated promotional debut on Saturday night.
Alexander Volkanovski was quick to react when their fight ended in a vicious first-round knockout.
Alexander Volkanovski names his next opponent
Carlos Prates landed a savage spinning elbow knockout win over Geoff Neal at UFC 319.
In the very next fight, Murphy connected with the same scary strike to put Pico to sleep and make his case for a 145lb title shot.
Volkanovski’s immediate reaction to the sickening finish suggests the Englishman is next in line.
‘The Great’ even suggested a date for his potential fight with Murphy in the immediate aftermath of the UFC 319 co-main event.
“See you in December @LeroneMurphy congrats #ufc319,” Volkanovski tweeted.
Joe Rogan’s pre-fight praise of Lerone Murphy
Earlier this week, Joe Rogan praised a UFC 319 star he believes is overlooked by most fans.
“Murphy is no joke,” the legendary UFC commentator said on his podcast.
“He is super solid, super technical everywhere. Murphy, to me, is very much like Leon Edwards in his prime at 145lbs. Very similar. Strong everywhere. Super technical. Doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s good, man… He has world championship potential.
“This is the word out of that camp is that guy’s always training, which is what you want to see from a guy like that who’s undefeated and also not getting the shine that a lot of other guys in that division are getting. Props to him for taking the fight, too.
“Murphy’s tough. And again, he’s one of those guys that is way better than his public persona. Like, people don’t know about him. There’s so many guys in that division, man. That division’s crazy. It’s filled with killers.”
