The UFC is under fire from fans after appearing to overlook Lerone Murphy as the next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title.
Volkanovski reclaimed his 145lb crown by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 earlier this year and seemed poised to defend it against Murphy, who earned his ninth straight win with a spectacular spinning-elbow knockout of Aaron Pico at UFC 319 in August.
The British contender’s highlight-reel finish looked like a guaranteed ticket to his first title shot. However, recent social media posts from Murphy suggest the UFC may be moving in a different direction — possibly toward a rematch between Volkanovski and Lopes.
The idea has sparked outrage among fans, many of whom flooded Murphy’s X (formerly Twitter) feed with criticism of the promotion’s decision:
“That’s a joke.”
“Should’ve been you.”
“No way they’re wasting our time with Lopes vs Volk 2.”
“Complete garbage.”
Others urged Murphy to “change your manager” and called the rumored rematch “wild,” pointing out that Volkanovski already defeated Lopes convincingly just months ago.
Volkanovski himself had previously voiced support for facing Murphy next, calling the matchup a “no-brainer” following Murphy’s knockout win.
“You couldn’t have scripted it any better,” the Australian champion said in a video on his YouTube channel. “A guy gets a massive knockout on a big card, nine wins in a row — it’s a no-brainer. December is looking good. Let’s make it happen.”
If the UFC instead books a Volkanovski–Lopes rematch, it’s likely to face further backlash from fans who see Murphy as the rightful next contender in the featherweight division.
