MURPHY'S LAW

Lerone in prime position thanks to shock Lopes win

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WHILE it was Diego Lopes who got his hand raised after an impressive victory at UFC Noche, the real winner in the featherweight division appears to be Lerone Murphy.

Manchester's Murphy is still basking in the glory of his spinning back elbow KO of Aaron Pico at UFC 319 last month that catapulted to the top his claims for the next shot at champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Though that was a title defence the Aussie welcomed, many pundits predicted that the surging Jean Silva would leapfrog the long list of contenders.

However, the Brazilian’s 13-fight winning streak was brought to an abrupt end in San Antonio, Texas, as Lopes won by TKO finish in round two of their fiery main event clash.