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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lauren Murphy knows who she is after a decade in the UFC — and her final fight is one last chance to show it
All those years ago, back when she stepped into an MMA cage for the first time, Lauren Murphy had a question she wanted to answer. It's the whole reason she was even there to begin with, at a small regional event in Alaska, where she grew up. 'I wanted to find out how tough I was,' Murphy told Uncrowned this week. 'I was like, 'I wonder if I could be in a fist fight and handle it?' That's it. I've never been in a fight outside the cage. Literally why I started the sport was to find out how tough I could actually be.' Advertisement A little over three years later she was undefeated as a professional and had captured the inaugural 135-pound title with the all-female MMA organization Invicta FC. So yeah, pretty tough, as it turns out. But now Murphy is 41 years old and closing in on the end of her MMA career. Her fight against Eduarda Moura on the undercard of Saturday's UFC Nashville event will be her last, according to Murphy, regardless of the outcome. It comes more than two years after her last trip into the Octagon — a unanimous decision loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 283, which was only Murphy's second defeat in this decade. On an occasion like this, facing the end of something, one almost can't help but get a little reflective. Murphy has been a professional fighter for the better part of 15 years now. What started as a personal test became a career and, to some extent, an identity. She's lived an entire life in this sport, which is one of the reasons she doesn't particularly care what kind of sendoff she gets from the UFC or its fans. 'I don't need anybody's validation to know what kind of career I've had,' Murphy said. 'They don't know my entire story, they don't know where I come from. They don't know the fears that I had or the way that I was brought up. They don't know the things that I've really overcome to be where I'm at. For me, I'm very, very proud of my career and I don't need anybody's validation to feel that way. I don't need anybody's permission to feel good about what I've done, because I know how hard I've worked. I know the things that I've overcome to be here. I know that to go from Alaska to Invicta to the UFC, and then spend most of my career in the UFC, the odds were so f***ing slim. And I made it anyway, so I'm very proud of the way that I played the hand I was dealt. I think I played it really, really well.' Advertisement That sense of inner peace didn't always come so easy. When she first got to the UFC, Murphy admitted, she struggled with a kind of imposter syndrome. She looked around at the other fighters, some of them former Olympians who'd seemingly spent their entire lives as elite athletes, and wondered if she belonged. She also had to learn how to deal with being a public figure, subject to the scrutiny of everyone with a television or a laptop, many of whom felt totally comfortable reaching out over social media to let her know what they thought her deficiencies might be. 'When the fans would write mean stuff to me on Twitter or something, I would take it so personal,' Murphy said. Advertisement One time she was at a UFC meet-and-greet event with fans in Houston, she said. A man waited in line to get his picture with her and get her signature on some piece of MMA memorabilia. 'And then he was like, 'Oh my God, I'm such a fan. Do you know I talked so much s*** to you on Twitter one time and you actually responded?'' Murphy said. 'My mouth dropped open. I was like, 'Are you serious? You talked to s*** to me on Twitter and then stood in line to get my autograph?' I couldn't understand that.' It reminded her of something that former UFC champ Benson Henderson had told her in the gym once, she said. How the same fans who love to hate you online will be the ones who can't wait to meet you in person. How they'll never miss one of your fights, simply because now they're emotionally invested. It made her realize that, as personal as it felt on her end, to many fans it was just a game, part of the appeal of following a sport like this. They get to see the fighters laid bare, their emotions raw and visible in the cage on fight night. They form emotional connections, both good and bad. Then they know where to find you on the internet, whether or not they know how to act like decent people after that. Advertisement These are the kinds of things she never thought she'd learn from fighting in a cage. That's the funny part, she said, how you start out trying to answer one question about yourself and end up learning so much you never expected. Take, for instance, how UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko taught her the value of focus and hard-earned confidence when Murphy challenged her for the 125-pound championship back in 2021. Murphy's showdown with Shevchenko came with the UFC flyweight title on the line. (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 'A bomb could have gone off in that arena and she wouldn't have even blinked,' Murphy said. 'She was so focused and so confident, and that can be scary just by itself. That was the biggest thing she taught me. She didn't have to talk or say anything. You just felt it, like holy s***. I learned that if you can bring that focus and intensity and confidence into the fight, it'll break people. They can feel it. Everybody else in the top 10, you can back them up, make them flinch, hear them breathing hard. But not her. It was a stark contrast to everyone else in the division, and that's why she's the champ. Advertisement "t was a good lesson for me to see how that focus and confidence, it has to be earned and cultivated, and then you can use it in your fights.' When the UFC first offered her Moura for her final fight, Murphy had never heard of her opponent. When she looked into it and saw a younger fighter just beginning to make her way in the UFC, not to mention the current BetMGM odds that have Murphy as about a 4-to-1 underdog, she could see what matchmakers were thinking. Take a fighter on the way out and use her to boost a fighter on the way in. Murphy has been in this game long enough to know what the UFC's plans were. 'But I didn't care,' she said. 'I've been the underdog for most of my career. That stopped bothering me years ago.' Advertisement For now her focus is on going out on a win. She's been through all the ups and downs of life in the UFC enough times to know how it can make all the difference. 'When you win and you go out with your team after, the food tastes better. The jokes are funnier. Everything — life — just feels sweeter then,' Murphy said. That's what she'll miss most when the ride is finally over after Saturday. There are other parts she won't miss, like seeing her name in clickbait headlines or doing interviews for stories that end up leading with close-up images of her getting punched in the face. 'But the thing I'll really miss is standing there getting my hand raised, hearing [UFC announcer] Bruce Buffer say 'winner by whatever, 'Lucky' Lauren Murphy, I love that part,' she said. 'It's just an amazing feeling. You look up, see your name in lights all over the arena, and it's just … there's nothing like winning a UFC fight, man. You feel like, 'I did it. I really did it.'' Advertisement Saturday night in Nashville, she gets one more chance to feel that feeling. And the fact that the oddsmakers (and likely many of the fans) don't expect her to, she said, well, that seems like maybe the most fitting note to end on.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC veterans competing in MMA action May 22-25
UFC veterans competing in MMA action May 22-25 Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this week. This week, the UFC is idle before another Fight Night event at the UFC Apex. Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place, featuring several familiar names who have competed under the UFC banner. Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing May 22-25. Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend's competitors. Upcoming event information from Tapology. Last week's results Milana Dudieva: Unanimous decision win vs. Amanda Torres at Invicta FC 62 DeAnna Bennett: Unanimous decision loss vs. Rayla Nascimento at Invicta FC 62 Victor Hugo: Unanimous decision loss vs. Damien Lapilus at Brave CF 94 Dylan Budka: Split decision win vs. Robert Gidron at AFP 102 Melvin Guillard: Submission loss vs. Josiah Harrell at Ohio Combat League 38 Cris Cyborg: TKO win vs. Precious Harris-McCray at Fight Night 3 (boxing) Terrence Mitchell: May 17 vs. Alex Aschenbrenner at Alaska FC 168 – official results pending Teruto Ishihara: TKO loss vs. Taichi Aoi at Shooto 2025 Vol. 4 Xiaocan Feng (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Next fight: May 22 vs. Arisa Matsuda at Road to UFC Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Knockout loss vs. Ming Chi at UFC Fight Night 248 on Nov. 23, 2024 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Baergeng Jieleyisi (19-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Next fight: May 22 vs. Sebastian Szalay at Road to UFC Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Unanimous decision loss vs. Su Young You at UFC on Nov. 23, 2024 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Ashley Yoder (9-9 MMA, 3-8 UFC) Next fight: May 22 vs. Natasha Kuziutina at Tuff-N-Uff 144 Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Gloria de Paula at LFA 190 on Aug. 23, 2024 Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Emily Ducote at UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14, 2023 Record since UFC exit: 1-0 Rony Jason (18-11 MMA, 4-4 UFC) Next fight: May 24 vs. Pawel Politylo at FNC 23 Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Jordan Barton at FNC 19 on Sept. 7, 2024 Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Jeremy Kennedy at UFC Fight Night 106 on March 11, 2017 Record since UFC exit: 4-4 MMA, 1-0 kickboxing Caio Machado (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) Next fight: May 25 vs. Everton Vasconcelos at Thunder Fight 49 Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Split decision loss vs. Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Fight Night 246 on Nov. 2, 2024 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Nick Aguirre (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC veterans competing in MMA and boxing action May 16-18
UFC veterans competing in MMA and boxing action May 16-18 Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this week. This week, the UFC returns to its home base in Las Vegas. UFC Fight Night 256 takes place at the UFC Apex, and features a welterweight bout between undefeated contender Michael Morales and former title challenger Gilbert Burns. Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place, featuring several familiar names who have competed under the UFC banner. Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing May 16-18. Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend's competitors. Upcoming event information from Tapology. Last week's results Yanis Ghemmouri: May 9 vs. Izzeddine Al Durban at 2025 PFL MENA 1 Michel Prazeres: Unanimous decision loss vs. Evgeniy Galochkin at ACA 186 Maxim Grishin: TKO win vs. Evgeny Egemberdiev at ACA 186 Hacran Dias: Unanimous decision win vs. Marat Balaev at ACA 186 Mickael Lebout: Unanimous decision loss vs. Amin Ayoub at KSW 106 Cody Pfister: Split decision loss vs. Michael Stack at Peak Fighting 44 Jose Johnson: May 10 vs. Jovanis Rodriguez at WFC 175 – official results pending Anthony Hamilton: May 10 vs. Jared Torgeson at WFC 175 – official results pending Milana Dudieva (13-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) Next fight: May 16 vs. Amanda Torres at Invicta FC 62 Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Sandra Lavado at Invicta FC 57 on Sept. 20, 2024 Last UFC fight: TKO loss vs. Marion Reneau at UFC Fight Night 99 on Nov. 19, 2016 Record since UFC exit: 2-4 DeAnna Bennett (14-9-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) Next fight: May 16 vs. Rayla Nascimento at Invicta FC 62 Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Liz Tracy at Invicta FC 57 on Sept. 20, 2024 Last UFC fight: Majority draw vs. Melinda Fabian at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale on Dec. 1, 2017 Record since UFC exit: 6-6 Victor Hugo (25-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) Next fight: May 17 vs. Damien Lapilus at Brave CF 94 Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Unanimous decision loss vs. Farid Basharat at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, 2024 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Dylan Budka (7-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC) Next fight: May 17 vs. Robert Gidron at AFP 102 Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Knockout loss vs. Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 251 on Feb. 15, 2025 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Melvin Guillard (32-22-2 MMA, 12-9 UFC) Next fight: May 17 vs. Josiah Harrell at Ohio Combat League 38 Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Terry House Jr. at united Combat League 32 on Oct. 18, 2019 Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 37 on March 8, 2014 Record since UFC exit: 1-9 (1 NC), 2-6 bareknuckle boxing Cris Cyborg (28-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) Next fight: May 17 vs. Precious Harris-McCray at Fight Night 3 (boxing) Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Larissa Pacheco at PFL: Battle of the Giants on Oct. 19, 2024 Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 on July 27, 2019 Record since UFC exit: 7-0 MMA, 6-0 boxing Terrence Mitchell (14-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) Next fight: May 17 vs. Alex Aschenbrenner at Alaska FC 168 Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): TKO loss vs. Raul Rosas Jr. at Noche UFC on Sept. 16, 2023 Record since UFC exit: 0-0 Teruto Ishihara (14-12-3 MMA, 3-5-1 UFC)
USA Today
26-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cris Cyborg gets date and opponent for third professional boxing fight
Cris Cyborg is making a return to the ring. The highly decorated women's MMA fighter is set to compete in her third professional boxing contest. Cyborg takes on Karen Fernandes in a four-round boxing bout scheduled to go down on March 3 in Medellin, Colombia. The fight will be contested at super middleweight (154 pounds). The news of the matchup was announced by Cyborg's team on Tuesday. The fight will stream on The Brazilian continues in the boxing world alongside her career in MMA. She competed twice in 2024, one being a professional bout and the other an exhibition. She won both boxing fights by stoppage. Cyborg is considered an all-time great in MMA, being a former UFC, Invicta FC, Strikeforce champion, and last Bellator women's featherweight titleholder. She sports an MMA record of 28–2 with victories over many notable names such as Holly Holm, Gina Carano, Julia Budd, and others. MMA wise, Cyborg most recently defeated PFL champion Larissa Pacheco in a unanimous decision back in October.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Invicta FC 60: Best photos from Atlanta
Check out these photos from the fights at Invicta FC 60, which took place at Center Stage in Atlanta, featuring a women's bantamweight fight between Mayra Cantuaria and Olga Rubin. (Photos by Dave Mandell, Invicta FC) This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Invicta FC 60: Best photos from Atlanta
