Manchester fighter Lerone Murphy saw his hopes of a featherweight title shot go up in smoke after a controversial majority decision defeat to Movsar Evloev at UFC London. The Russian had a point deducted in the fourth round for a second low blow, yet still won 48-46, 48-46, 47-47, ending Murphy's undefeated professional record at 17-1-1.
Murphy, 34, started slowly but found his rhythm in the second and third rounds, using movement and sharp striking to stifle Evloev's takedown attempts. The Russian eventually took Murphy down in the third, but the Briton quickly scrambled back to his feet. In the fourth, Evloev was docked a point after another low blow left Murphy in agony, seemingly swinging the momentum.
Despite the deduction, Evloev dominated the final two rounds, taking the fight to a decision. All three judges controversially gave Evloev the third round, and two awarded him the first, handing the unbeaten Russian a crucial victory and improving his record to 20-0. Murphy was gracious in defeat, calling on matchmakers to ensure Evloev gets the title shot he deserves.
In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett's teammate Luke Riley swept the scorecards against Michael Aswell Jr to go 2-0 in the UFC. Kurtis Campbell suffered a knockout loss to Danny Silva in the main card opener, while Michael 'Venom' Page defeated Sam Patterson in a low-activity bout that drew boos from the crowd. Christian Leroy Duncan impressed with a win over Roman Dolidze, and Polish light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski scored a 28-second knockout of Austen Lane.
On the prelims, Welshman Mason Jones earned a unanimous decision over Axel Sola in a thrilling striking exchange, while London debutant Shanelle Dyer knocked out Ravena Oliveira with a headkick in the second round. Nathaniel Wood extended his win streak to four with a split decision over Losene Keita, and Mario Pinto maintained his undefeated record against Felipe Franco. However, Louie Sutherland and Shem Rock both fell to 0-2 in the UFC, with Rock instigating a post-fight scuffle after refusing to shake Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady's hand.
