Movsar Evloev overcame early adversity and a point deduction to leave UFC London with a big win over Lerone Murphy.
Through the first two rounds, Murphy used his teeps and kicks to keep Evolev at bay. That appeared to keep the No. 1-ranked contender from using his elite-level wrestling.
With Murphy seemingly up 2-0, we headed to the third, where Evloev finally decided to get his ground game. He managed to get Murphy down to the mat momentarily, though he wasn’t able to keep the Brit down for long. Still, Evloev found some success, backing Murphy against the fence and delivering a late flurry that may have stolen the stanza.
Just as the tide started to turn in Evloev’s favor, disaster struck in the opening minute of the fourth when he delivered an accidental low blow to Murphy. That resulted in referee Marc Goddard taking a point from Evloev.
That put Evloev in a position where he may have needed a finish to walk away victorious.
With only five minutes left in the fight, Evloev turned it up, taking Murphy down and lighting him up with some ground strikes. Unfortunately, Evolev was unable to muster a finish, sending him to the scorecards. However, Evloev’s dominant display in the latter rounds earned him enough favor with the judges.
Official Result: Movsar Evloev def. Lerone Murphy via majority decision (48-46, 48-46, 47-47).
Check Out Highlights From Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy at UFC London: