Lerone Murphy def. Aaron Pico at UFC 319
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Klose (16-3-1 MMA, 10-3 UFC) picked up arguably the biggest win of his career when he outworked feared striker Barboza (24-13 MMA, 18-13 UFC) for a unanimous decision on the preliminary card at United Center. It was an emotional return to the win column for Klose, who dedicated the fight to his brother, who was murdered in 2024.
To secure a quick title shot, the ex-Bellator standout was looking to become the first man to beat Lerone Murphy in the pay-per-view’s co-main event. Instead, though, Pico was viciously knocked out by Murphy’s spinning back elbow in round one.
Elliott (21-14-1 MMA, 10-11 UFC) upset Asakura (21-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a second-round submission to open up the main card at United Center in Chicago. Elliott, a former flyweight title challenger, pulled the upset against the 3-1 favorite.
UFC 319 had all the makings of a blockbuster stacked card, highlight-reel finishes, and a main event with the kind of hype that doesn’t come around too often. And while the night delivered in spades with wild knockouts and nonstop action, the headliner left some fans grumbling.
In the main event, Chimaev dominated Dricus du Plessis to claim the middleweight throne and remain undefeated in the sport. The key to victory was an ability to stay on top for five rounds, which many had doubted he could do in the lead-up.
Silva (19-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) outworked Barbosa (8-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) for a unanimous decision on the preliminary card at United Center in Chicago. Although all three judges scored each round the same, the fans seemed to be surprised Silva got the nod – as did members of the ESPN broadcast crew.
Find out if three record-breaking performances were enough to lift an otherwise mundane UFC 319 card to the top half of the grading curve.