Overview

• After Murphy knocked out Aaron Pico in the first round at UFC 319, Alexander Volkanovski publicly identified him as the likely next challenger.
• Murphy says he is studying Volkanovski’s tendencies and claims he already sees exploitable holes in the champion’s game.
• Both fighters have pointed to a December timeline in Las Vegas, but Murphy says he has not yet received an official call from the UFC.
• Volkanovski said he previously tried to arrange a title defense against Movsar Evloev, but those plans stalled as Murphy emerged from UFC 319.
• Separate coverage highlighted Volkanovski’s appearance in a prank video where he feigned an injury during a playful grappling exchange with a fan.