Lerone Murphy says he wanted to fight Kevin Vallejos at UFC Doha but is now injured and unable to train for six to eight weeks. Murphy said he traveled to Las Vegas a week ago before the injury. The setback rules him out of the Doha card.
Lerone Murphy has been forced out of his planned fight with Kevin Vallejos at UFC Doha after picking up an injury that will keep him out of training for six to eight weeks.
Murphy said he had wanted to take the fight and had already traveled to Las Vegas a week ago before the injury occurred. The setback removes him from the Doha card.
Murphy, a 35-year-old from England, sits third in the featherweight rankings with a record of 17-1-1. He trains out of Manchester Top Team and fights from an orthodox stance. The Englishman lands 4.34 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy, and he averages 1.2 takedowns per 15 minutes along with 0.5 submission attempts. At five-foot-nine with a 73-inch reach, he holds a notable length advantage in the matchup.
Vallejos, 24, is the ninth-ranked featherweight and carries an 18-1-0 record. The Argentine fights out of Brothers of Life MMA and works from a switch stance. He is the more prolific striker on paper, landing 6.12 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, and averages 0.66 takedowns per 15 minutes. He stands five-foot-seven with a 68-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Murphy's absence removes a top-three featherweight from the Doha card, costing the event a high-ranking name.
- Vallejos, ranked ninth, had a chance to make a statement against a much higher-ranked opponent, and that opportunity is now on hold.
- Murphy's six-to-eight-week recovery window means he will not be able to resume training until well after the Doha event.
The report does not say whether Vallejos will be given a replacement opponent for the card, or whether the matchup could be rebooked once Murphy is healthy.
