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UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy Takeaways and Thoughts
May 20, 2024
The UFC was back at the Apex on Saturday with an entertaining night of fights that put some people back on the map or into the spotlight. Let’s take a look at what went down…
Main Card (ESPN+)
Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
Khaos Williams def. Carlston Harris via KO (punches) 1:30 of Round 1
Themba Gorimbo def. Ramiz Brahimaj via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Adrian Yanez def. Vinicius Salvador via TKO (strikes) at 2:47 of Round 1
Angela Hill def. Luana Pinheiro via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:12 of Round 2
Preliminary Card (ESPN+)
Tom Nolan def. Victor Martinez via TKO (punches) at 3:50 of Round 1
Oumar Sy def. Tuco Tokkos via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:43 of Round 1
Melissa Gatto def. Tamires Vidal via TKO (punches) at :37 of Round 3
Abus Magomedov def. Warlley Alves via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Ariane Carnelossi def. Piera Rodriguez via DQ (intentional headbutt) at 3:16 of Round 2
Alatengheili def. Kleydson Rodrigues via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Vanessa Demopoulos def. Emily Ducote via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The Prelims
As usual, the Prelims provided some entertaining fights and moments. Here’s what stood out to me…
I had Ariane Carnelossi winning, but I didn’t expect it to be from an intentional headbutt. You don’t see stuff like this in MMA too often nowadays.
Remember when I said that Warlley Alves was an exciting fighert in the preview for this show? Well, Abus Magomedov wanted nothing to do with that. He used his length and ground game to take away Alves’ momentum strikes and get the solid victory.
Melissa Gatto, Oumar Sy, and Tom Nolan all had impressive finishes. Awesome performances from all three.
Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro
I don’t know what possessed me to pick against Angela Hill. She came into the weekend looking good and sounding positive. She ended up getting a beautiful second round submission. She just powered into it and sunk it in. Really awesome work here for Hill.
Adrian Yanez vs. Vinicius Salvador
Yanez was crisp from the first second. As the referee started the fight, you could almost feel a finish happening with the way he moved around the cage and was able to land cleanly on Salvador. Yanez is very strong with his hands and could pose an issue in this division if he keeps working.
Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
I really thought the vibes were working for Brahimaj. I was surprised to see how easily Gorimbo was able to nullify Brahimaj’s strengths and outwork him. This was yet another nice win for Gorimbo who continues to surprise me with how good he looks inside the Octagon against tough opponents.
Khaos Williams vs. Carlston Harris
This was a great palate cleanser for the main event. Khaos went out and was hunting for a finish. He certainly got it with a vicious KO early in the fight. Very impressive outing for Khaos!
Lerone Murphy vs. Edson Barboza
I was really looking forward to this fight and it did not disappoint. Lerone Murphy put on a legitimate striking clinic to get a huge win over the tough Edson Barboza. Edson did an unbelievable job staying in the fight and getting through to the end of it. Murphy brought everything he had and, honestly, probably would have finished most people not named “Edson Barboza.” Some of the shots that Edson took were nasty, but he kept fighting. Crazy! For Lerone Murphy, though, this was his time in the spotlight. He mixed up his striking beautifully and got the best of Barboza throughout the entire fight. Murphy is looking like he could be a force in the division, for sure.
My Picks
I ended up going 8-4 with my picks on Saturday, which is not too bad. While I didn’t bet any real money, I don’t think the 8 correct choices would have yielded me any major winnings. It’s good to get 75% right, though.
Overall, I thought this was a fun show and definitely worth the time. The Prelims had some interesting moments and great finishes. The Main Card delivered, as well. Plus, it was great to see Lerone Murphy breakout in the division.
What did you think of the show? What do you think is next for Lerone Murphy? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. There are no major MMA shows this weekend, so I will see you next week!
