is on the cusp of stardom and could find himself ranked in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's featherweight division after dismantling the always-dangerous Edson Barboza on Saturday at the UFC Apex. Murphy dominated one of the the promotion's all-time best strikers from bell to bell en route to a unanimous decision win (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) over the 38-year-old Brazillian in the UFC Fight Night 241 main event.
Murphy (14-0-1) peppered Barboza with the jab and outstruck him despite eating bone-crunching leg kicks. He had Barboza staggered multiple times throughout the fight but cautiously stuck to the game plan and punished his foe in the clinch when the moment presented itself.