UFC Fight Island 8 will bear witness to a featherweight clash between Lerone Murphy and Douglas Silva de Andrade. MMA Fighting broke the news that the UFC later confirmed. The featherweight bout takes place on the mid-week event for UFC’s return to Yas Fight Island. Chiefly, the fight card is headlined by Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny and comes in before UFC 257.

The entire fight week for UFC’s Abu Dhabi return is expected to receive some major buzz due to UFC 257’s main event. Conor McGregor steps out of retirement once more and battles Dustin Poirier in a grudge match. Murphy and de Andrade have a good opportunity to capitalize on the buzz from the marquee match. Moreover, there’s a marquee event that comes in just days before, headlined by Max Holloway vs Calvin Kattar.

UFC featherweights: Lerone Murphy vs Douglas Silva de Andrade

‘The Miracle’ Murphy enters his third UFC bout after going 1-0-1 in the promotion. The Englishman made his debut against Zubaira Tukhugov at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, and the fight went to a split decision draw. Since then he’s bounced back with a TKO win over Ricardo Ramos, who was put away before the start of round 2.

The 9-0 prospect is well-sized for the 145-pound division and certainly has the attributes to make a solid run. He’s able to use distance well and never shies away from using leg kicks to create the required separation. Furthermore, he’s shown himself to be patient when chasing the finish and doesn’t gas himself out by rushing in.

Douglas ‘D’Silva’ is a veteran 145-pounder and his 26-3 record is a clear-cut reflection of that. He’s 2-2 in his last four UFC outings, however, his losses have come to fighters like champion Petr Yan and contender Rob Font. Meanwhile, he’s won out fights over Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera and most recently former 135-pound champion Renan Barao.

Top Stories

Ex-UFC Fighter, Former Wrestling Champion Dies at 63 After Health Complications

Florida Commission Draws Fire After Silva vs. Woodley Even as Israel Adesanya Cheers His “Sempai”

Henry Cejudo Warns Bettors Hours After Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Hit With $100M Prediction

Nick Diaz Breaks Silence With Major Update as Alarming Rumors Swirl Amid Absence From Public Eye

Alex Pereira’s White House Announcement Has Fans Turning On Dana White as Donald Trump’s UFC Plans Hit a Snag

Silva de Andrade is held back by the fact that he hasn’t fought since November 2019. The fight game evolves at an alarming rate, and such an extended lay-off is certainly detrimental to his visibility in the division.

What do you make of this booking?