UFC 286 | LERONE TO WATCH

Saturday night will see the UFC return to London for the third time in 12 months, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s not an occasion full of firsts. It’s the first of the three events to be a numbered UFC card. It’s the first to have a belt on the line. It’s the first to have a build-up free of the relentless Pimblett and McCann hype, and it’s the first to feature “The Miracle” Lerone Murphy.

With the obvious exceptions of the main and co-main event, Murphy’s scheduled bout with Nathaniel Wood was arguably the most exciting fight on the card, putting 2 of the UK’s most exciting prospects up against one another. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury that you’re lucky if you haven’t seen, has ruled Wood out of the fight. Taking his place, undefeated Brazilian, Gabriel Santos, a well-rounded fighter who will be making his UFC debut in London.

Missing out on the Nathaniel Wood fight is a blow for Murphy, as is the need to adjust to a replacement on relatively short notice. The good news however, is that Lerone will have the entirety of the O2 Arena on his side.

Since drawing his UFC debut against Zubaira Tukhugov, Murphy has put together a run of 3 wins against Ricardo Ramos, Douglas Silva de Andrade and Makwan Amirkhani. All of those opponents presented similar challenges for Murphy, attempting to take the fight to the ground. It didn’t work out for any of them though, as their efforts lead to them tiring, and in Amirkhani and Ramos’ case, they were finished as a result.

Don’t be surprised if Santos adopts a similar strategy, the ground is the safest place to be when you’re locked in a cage with Lerone Murphy. Durability is another strength in the locker of Santos, which could play an important factor.

It would be a pleasure to see Lerone Murphy make a statement and get some love from the London crowd. Hopefully, his performance earns him that and maybe we’ll get the Wood match-up further down the line. As far as this weekend goes, a decision win for Murphy feels the most likely outcome, but this is MMA, so anything can happen. Just ask the man walking around with a belt.