“I’m ready to fight for the title,” says Britain’s Lerone Murphy after his biggest UFC win earns him a spot in the rankings

LERONE MURPHY feels ready to make a run for the featherweight title.

The undefeated Manchester fighter picked up the biggest win of his career in May in the main event of UFC Vegas 92.

Murphy, 32, dominated fierce kicker Edson Barboza for five straight rounds to earn a decision victory in the biggest match of his MMA career and move into the 145-pound rankings.

Murphy was icy, calm and collected as he delivered a lesson against fan favourite Barboza, but there was a brief moment when the magnitude of the occasion – and the opponent – got to him.

He told SunSport: “When he first came into the cage it was a little moment that I had.

“But other than that, it was like, ‘Boom, light up. It’s just another fight.’ And then I focused my efforts.

“I had a blast watching him come into the cage and thinking, ‘Yes, that’s Edson Barboza.’

The reality that he could become the latest addition to Barboza’s incredible list of highlights saw Murphy focus like he never had before.

“That’s when I got turned on,” he continued. “And I probably haven’t been that turned on in a while.”

“I knew the danger I was in and that’s what pushed me to perform.”

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Murphy’s entry into the rankings opens up the possibility of several tantalizing matchups, a fact he is well aware of.

But despite being on the path to a title, he refuses to consider himself a real contender.

“To me, it’s just numbers,” Murphy said of his place in the rankings. “They’re going to change and shift at any time.”

“For me it’s all about the title and fighting for the title. And I feel like once you get into the top five, that’s when you’re a real title contender.

“Of course I’m grateful and I know it’s an important step, as you said, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

British MMA fans were hoping Murphy – who survived being shot in the face 11 years ago – would avoid injury and secure a place when the UFC returns to Manchester on July 27.

The card is completely full, however, meaning he will have to watch from the sidelines like he did in 2016.

Not competing at UFC 304 will give Murphy plenty of time to rest and recover from whatever opponent the promotion throws at him next.

“I feel like I’m excited about all of them,” Murphy said of the featherweights ranked ahead of him. “Because everyone in that top 10, I’ve watched them for years.

“These guys are all big names, every single one of them is a big name.

“That’s why the UFC is probably happy that I got the win.

“These are completely new confrontations now because I haven’t fought any opponents in this top 10.

“It’s an exciting time and I feel like they’re all good matchups.”

After watching the veterans of the featherweight division do their thing for several years, Murphy has two names in particular he hopes to measure himself against. following.

He said: “I looked at the names and I feel like a good match for me would be a Josh Emmett, maybe, or a Calvin Kattar.

“There are a lot of fighters in there (that I would like to fight) and I think all the fights are good fights.

“But in terms of styles, styles if you like, these kinds of fights will bring out the best in me.”

Although he is currently ranked 11th, it is not out of the question that Murphy could find himself challenging for UFC gold in the next six to eight months – provided he puts in some spectacular results.

This fact is not lost on the Manchester Top Team star, who said: “I feel like it’s performance based.

“Let’s say you go out there and you have a crazy performance or a crazy finish and everyone’s talking about you, the UFC will catapult you right to that place.

“They’re always looking for new contenders. (Brian) Ortega has fought for the belt a couple of times, Yair (Rodriguez) – they want new guys in there.

“So let’s try to put in a big performance, a big win and see what happens.”