Lerone Murphy staked his claim to a world title shot with a Knockout of the Year contender at UFC 319.

The British featherweight flattened Bellator standout Aaron Pico with a brutal spinning back elbow in the first round after taking the fight on three weeks' notice.

His latest triumph improved his impressive unbeaten record to 17-0-1 overall and 9-0-1 inside the UFC .

The Mancunian now finds himself in an extremely strong position to challenge for the 145lbs belt, and he took the opportunity to call out champion Alexander Volkanovski post-fight.

"This sport's all about moments, and I just created one," said Murphy.

"I needed something like this. I took the fight on three weeks' notice.

"I believed in myself, and I knew the opportunity was there.

"I'm next in line – let's go

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