Murphy (17-0-1 MMA, 9-0-1 UFC) was tasked with welcoming Bellator and PFL veteran Pico (13-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to the octagon in the co-headliner at United Center in Chicago. Just like every other time in his career, he refused to lose and emerged with a first-round knockout triumph to further elevate his own profile in the 145-pound title picture.

UFC 319 was a dramatic affair from Chicago, Illinois, with a 12-fight card headlined by Dricus du Plessis and the newly-crowned champion Khamzat Chimaev. The main card saw back-to-back knockouts come by spinning elbow as Carlos Prates KO’d Geoff Neal, and the undefeated Lerone Murphy spoiled Aaron Pico’s UFC debut in brutal fashion.

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

Undefeated Lerone Murphy meets a debuting Aaron Pico in what has been rumored to be a featherweight title eliminator. Who takes it?

UFC 319’s main card opener saw ex-Rizin champ Kai Asakura fall to 0-2 in the UFC. His submission defeat to Tim Elliott came after his failed attempt at immediately dethroning champion Alexandre Pantoja last December, marking another example of a new signing perhaps being thrown to the wolves.