Lerone Murphy maintained his undefeated record with a unanimous decision victory over Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC on ESPN 65, held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The featherweight bout saw Murphy (16-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) utilize his movement and striking to keep Emmett (19-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) at bay, earning him scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 from the judges.

Murphy's game plan was evident from the start: stay active on the outside and avoid Emmett's power. While Emmett had moments where he threatened to close the distance, Murphy's elusive footwork and consistent striking proved to be the difference. The victory marks Murphy's eighth consecutive win and solidifies his position as a rising contender in the featherweight division.

In his post-fight interview, Murphy expressed his desire for a title shot or a fight against a top-five opponent to move closer to the belt. With Ilia Topuria having recently vacated the featherweight title, and Alexander Volkanovski set to face Diego Nunes at UFC 314, the division is ripe with opportunity. Murphy specifically called out Brian Ortega as a potential next opponent.

The event also featured several other notable matchups. Pat Sabatini defeated Joanderson Brito by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-26, 30-26, and 30-27 in favor of Sabatini. ChangHo Lee secured a TKO victory over Cortavious Romious in the second round, while Brad Tavares earned a unanimous decision win against Gerald Meerschaert. Ode Osbourne defeated Luis Gurule by TKO in the second round, and Torrez Finney emerged victorious over Rob Valentin via split decision.

Dione Barbosa submitted Diana Belbita with an arm-triangle choke in the first round, and Rhys McKee defeated Daniel Frunza via TKO due to a doctor's stoppage. Loma Lookboonmee defeated Istela Nunes by unanimous decision, and Victor Henry also won via unanimous decision against Pedro Falcao. Martin Buday secured a unanimous decision victory over Uran Satybaldiev, and Talita Alencar defeated Vanessa Demopoulos by unanimous decision as well.

Several figures in the MMA community shared their thoughts on the Murphy-Emmett fight on social media. Henry Cejudo noted Murphy's strong performance in the first round, while Alan Jouban praised Murphy's spinning back kick. Aaron Bronsteter scored the fight 20-18 in favor of Murphy after two rounds and 30-27 after three. However, Damon Martin criticized referee Jason Herzog's handling of an eye poke situation, feeling just a warning was insufficient.

Other reactions included Dan Tom highlighting Emmett's corner's potential frustration with his strategy, and Matthew Wells predicting a 49-46 score for Murphy. Dan Ige also chimed in, hinting at his own future plans. Overall, the event showcased a mix of exciting finishes and tactical battles, with Lerone Murphy's victory over Josh Emmett serving as the main highlight.