’This Is a Warning Shot ‘ – Losene Keita Targets Lerone Murphy After Brutal First-Round KO
After a statement win over the weekend, Losene Keita wants to try his luck against Lerone Murphy.
Losene Keita didn't just get his first UFC victory at UFC Paris. He made sure one particular featherweight contender was watching. “Black Panther” delivered a statement performance against Muhammad Naimov at Accor Arena on Saturday, dropping the Tajik fighter multiple times before a thudding right hook ended the contest in the opening round.
With Lerone Murphy witnessing his glory, Keita knew exactly who he wanted to address next. The Guinean-Belgian fighter dropped a “warning shot,” while Murphy didn't appear particularly impressed.
“This Is a Warning Shot”: Losene Keita Calls Out Murphy After Walk-Off KO
First off, Keita (17-2-0) had plenty to prove when he walked into the Octagon in Paris. The former two-division OKTAGON champion entered the fight coming off a disappointing UFC debut against Nathaniel Wood, where he suffered a split-decision defeat.
Despite arriving with an impressive 16-2 record and a reputation as one of Europe's most dangerous prospects, Keita hasn’t exactly been able to translate that hype into a victory in his first UFC appearance. On Saturday, he made a statement with a first-round KO over Muhammad Naimov. Keita came out swinging, putting Naimov under pressure from the opening bell.
Vicious Shots Yield to Win for Losene Keita
The 28-year-old hurt him repeatedly before dropping him with a left jab midway through the opening round. The Belgian continued his onslaught on the ground with vicious elbows, and once Naimov returned to his feet, Keita needed only one more clean shot.
A right hook sent Naimov crashing to the canvas at 2:54 of round one. He then walked off, jumped outside the octagon to celebrate his KO, taking a seat among the fans. His biggest moment of the night was yet to come.
With Murphy sitting in the Accor Arena audience, Keita used his post-fight interview to send a very personal message to the unbeaten UFC contender.
He said, “There is one guy. Lerone Murphy. This is not a callout. This is a warning shot. He told me I would never win in the UFC and I do a walkout KO. I’m coming for you. Never doubt me. I’m coming for your a**. And believe that.”
“I will work my a** off bro… I think I got more finishes than you. I’m coming for you,” he added.
Considering Murphy was actually in the building, the moment took on another layer when the cameras quickly found the Brit in the crowd, who appeared unimpressed with the finish and the subsequent callout.
Murphy Fires Back at Keita
After watching Keita celebrate his first UFC victory and call his name out from inside the Octagon, the 25-year-old featherweight took to X with a brief response that appeared to dismiss the entire challenge.
He wrote, "Bros 1-1 in the UFC. Have some respect."
In essence, Murphy (17-1-1) wasn't interested in getting carried away by one spectacular finish. And from his perspective, Keita still has plenty to prove at the UFC level, though the latter had earned a POTN bonus for his recent performance.
For the unversed, there is some bad blood between the two. As Keita claimed Murphy had previously told him he would never win in the UFC. After suffering a loss in his debut, he may have found that criticism stung. Now that he has bounced back, he made sure the No. 3-ranked featherweight was there to see it.
