The UFC 319 co-main event had the makings of a potential No. 1 contender fight and Lerone Murphy stated his case in no uncertain terms with an unreal first-round spinning back elbow knockout of Aaron Pico. Murphy is undefeated in 17 pro bouts, including a 9-0-1 mark in the UFC, and his finish of Pico could propel him into a long-awaited title shot.

If successful against Aaron Pico at UFC 319, Lerone Murphy expects to be in position to fight Alexander Volkanovski next.

In a 3-round featherweight bout on the main card, Lerone Murphy and Aaron Pico meet Saturday at UFC 319 at United Center in Chicago.

UFC 318 continues with a fight between Murphy and Donchenko. Check out our UFC odds series for our Murphy-Donchenko prediction.

Anything less than a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski will not satisfy British featherweight Lerone Murphy should he dispatch hot property Aaron Pico in the co-main event of UFC 319 this weekend, as he sets his sights on ruling the division by the year’s end.

Lerone Murphy's spinning-elbow knockout of Aaron Pico at UFC 319 may have just earned him a shot at featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski.