A featherweight fight between Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy has been announced as the headliner for UFC Fight Night 256 at the Apex in LAs Vegas on April 5th.
Emmett, who will have turned 40-years-old by the time fight night rolls around, is returning to action for the first time since a 1st round KO win over Bryce Mitchell in December of 2023.
Emmett purposefully took a year out after that fight, claiming that he hadn’t been competing at his best and wanted to get back to 100% before returning to the Octagon.
Prior to his victory over Mitchell, Emmett had suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in his career against Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria, and late last year he indicated that he’s now eager to make another run at the title and avenge his defeat to Topuria.
First though the No.8 ranked Emmett will have to go up against the 33-year-old Murphy, who is currently situated at No.11 and is eager to break into the divisional top 10.
Murphy is well on his way to doing that as he’s undefeated in his 16-fight career to date, including seven wins and a draw in the UFC so far.
Murphy’s level of competition has gradually stepped up over time and last year he earned two big wins over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige, sending a clear message that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the division.
Emmett vs. Murphy fronts a UFC FIght Night 256 card that will also features the likes of Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Martin Buday and Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini.
