Murphy competes in Abu Dhabi for the fourth time in as many appearances this week, looking to add to his two-fight winning streak and 11-fight unbeaten run when he steps in opposite Makwan Amirkhani in a bout that feels like the entrance exam Murphy needs to pass in order to garner a major step up in competition next time out.
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The 30-year-old from Manchester debuted in the UFC a little more than two years ago, battling Zubaira Tukhugov to a draw at UFC 242. He followed that up last summer with a first-round stoppage win over Ricardo Ramos, and then extended his undefeated streak to 11 with a unanimous decision victory over Douglas Silva in January. He was slated to face Canadian Charles Jourdain in September, but visa issues forced him out of the contest and pushed his return back to this weekend’s fight card in the familiar Fight Island surrounds.
Murphy has a real Leon Edwards vibe to him, and not just because they’re both British and started their UFC careers as unheralded talents. Like his countryman from Birmingham, the Manchester-based Murphy is solid everywhere, brandishing crisp, clean striking with more pop than you might expect, and quality grappling abilities, both offensively and defensively, which were on display in his scramble-heavy win over Ramos. He’s gotten better each time out and has a quiet confidence about him, two more traits he shares with Edwards.
After once being viewed as a potential contender himself, Amirkhani seems to have settled in to being a fast-starting litmus test for other hopefuls in the featherweight division; a guy that can catch you early if you make a mistake or you’re out of your depths. He enters on a two-fight slide, and is 3-4 in his last seven after starting his UFC career with three straight wins, but he’s more than capable of showing up locked in and ready to ruin Murphy’s unbeaten record this weekend.
Featherweight is loaded with talent — including a ton of emerging names — so breaking through is always a challenge, but a three-fight winning streak and four-fight unbeaten streak in the 145-pound ranks doesn’t come easy, and if Murphy can get there with a victory on Saturday, he could find himself battling one of those other up-and-coming hopefuls in his first appearance of 2022.
