Featherweight Contenders (#12) Edson Barboza And Lerone Murphy Battle At UFC Apex

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BARBOZA vs. MURPHY takes place Saturday, May 18 in Las Vegas and will be available on ESPN+ in English and Spanish. The main card will begin at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, with the prelims kicking off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.

Barboza (24-11, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has proven himself among the most devastating strikers in MMA history. Throughout his impressive career, he has delivered spectacular KO victories over Beneil Dariush, Billy Quarantillo and Terry Etim. Barboza now has his sights set on earning his third consecutive win by handing Murphy his first loss.

Murphy (13-0-1, fighting out of Manchester, England) intends to secure the biggest victory of his career. A talented striker with seven knockouts under his belt, he has earned notable wins against Makwan Amirkhani, Douglas Silva de Andrade and Ricardo Ramos. Murphy now hopes to make the most of his first UFC main event by stopping Barboza in emphatic fashion.

Elliott (21-13-1, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) looks to utilize his unorthodox style and veteran savvy to turn away another rising contender. A former UFC flyweight title challenger, he holds memorable victories over Sumudaerji, Tagir Ulanbekov and Louis Smolka. Elliott now plans to defend his spot in the rankings and halt Taira’s momentum.

Taira (15-0, fighting out of Okinawa, Japan) has wasted no time climbing the flyweight ladder since joining the roster in 2022. Among the youngest competitors in the UFC at 24 years old, he has netted impressive finishes against Carlos Hernandez, Jesús Santos Aguilar and CJ Vergara. Taira now intends to add a decorated veteran to his resume and continue his undefeated run.

Additional bouts on the card include: 

• Adrian Yanez (16-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) meets Vinicius Salvador (14-6, fighting out of Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil) in an entertaining bantamweight tilt
• Unbeaten Oumar Sy (9-0, fighting out of Paris, France) debuts agains Rodolfo Bellato (12-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at light heavyweight
• Victor Martinez (12-5, fighting out of Pharr, Texas) squares off with Tom Nolan (8-1, fighting out of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) in a lightweight bout
• Themba Gorimbo (12-4, fighting out of Johannesburg, South Africa) goes for his third straight win when he takes on Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas by way of the Bronx, N.Y.) at welterweight
• Abus Magomedov (25-6-1, fighting out of Düsseldorf, Germany) locks horns with Warlley Alves (15-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a middleweight tilt
• Khaos Williams (14-3, fighting out of Detroit, Mich.) meets Carlston Harris (19-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by way of Skeldon, Guyana) in an intriguing welterweight matchup
• No. 9 ranked women’s strawweight contender Luana Pinheiro (11-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) clashes with No. 12 Angela Hill (16-13, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Clinton, Md.)
• Vanessa Demopoulos (10-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) faces Emily Ducote (13-8, fighting out of Oklahoma City, Okla.) at strawweight
• Hailey Cowan (7-3, fighting out of Robinson, Texas) meets Tamires Vidal (7-2, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a bantamweight bout
• Piera Rodriguez (9-1, fighting out of Maracaibo, Venezuela) squares off with Ariane Carnelossi (14-3, fighting out of Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at strawweight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.