Murphy edges Honchak by split decision in 3-round battle

Lauren Murphy gave everything she had to earn the W in a fight that nearly never was.

After trading leather with Barb Honchak for two rounds and staving off a pair of late submission attempts, the 34-year-old was awarded a split decision over her fellow "The Ultimate Fighter 26" contestant at the season finale in Las Vegas on Friday.

The pair of flyweights had been scheduled to face different opponents on the bill, only to be matched up against each other when their respective dance partners pulled out at the 11th hour for differing reasons. The late adjustment didn't deter them from staging an entertaining three-round battle, which Murphy ultimately took to get back in the win column after dropping three closely contested decisions in four UFC fights as a bantamweight.

Honchak and Murphy made it a striking match from the opening bell, with the former landing her right hand regularly while the latter matched her volume, albeit without finding a home for her strikes as frequently as Honchak.

After two razor-close rounds that rendered the judges' charge a thankless one heading into the third, Honchak made Murphy pay for an early takedown with an armbar attempt her foe valiantly escaped, only for Honchak to switch to a triangle and wrench the limb free once again. Murphy wisely waited Honchak out before moving into back control to close out the clash and get the nod on two of three scorecards.

Honchak - a former Invicta FC flyweight champ and "TUF 26" semi-finalist - sees a nine-fight win streak snapped in her official return from a three-year layoff.