Report: Barboza-Murphy to headline UFC's May 18 event
A featherweight bout between Edson Barboza and Lerone Murphy will serve as the UFC Fight Night main event May 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, sources told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn.
Barboza is looking to build on a successful 2023 campaign in which the Brazilian veteran won two fights. The 38-year-old Barboza is coming off a come-from-behind unanimous decision win over Sodiq Yusuff in a main event last October. He also scored a highlight-reel knockout victory over Billy Quarantillo.
Murphy is getting a significant step up in competition after also going 2-0 last year. The Englishman was scheduled to face Dan Ige in his biggest fight to date in February but withdrew after suffering an injury. Murphy, 32, is undefeated as a pro and holds a 5-0-1 record in the UFC.
Barboza and Murphy are the Nos. 11- and 14-ranked featherweights in the promotion, respectively.