'The Miracle' returns to the Octagon on April 5 for his second main event in the UFC Apex.
Lerone Murphy van Manchester is ready to walk for the ninth time this Saturday after he signed at the UFC in 2019.
After he had come across the last time -out then IGE, the Brit called for a fight with Josh Emmett with his wish that was granted a few months later.
The American has one of the very best fought that the featherweight division has to offer and with his ruthless knockout power that has supplied a number of scary finishes, Emmett is always a threat.
This will not worry about the undefeated competition that has overcome a considerable adversity, including two near-death experiences with which Murphy has had to deal with before he becomes a top-third weight candidate.
Lerone Murphy was shot twice in 2013 and spit out the bullets
You don't deserve a nickname such as 'The Miracle' without having a story behind it and Lerone Murphy certainly has that, even if he is somewhat reluctant to talk about it in detail.
In 2013, a 21-year-old Murphy was shot twice in a drive-by outside of a hairdressing store that was currently motivated by the gang culture in Manchester.
He repeated the story and a particularly remarkable moment in an interview with the athletics prior to his UFC debut on UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi.
“It just turned black. Do you know what – did you play 'Call of Duty'? If you are shot, it will be, beeeeeeeeeeeep. So it was. So I am shot, I went on the floor, I woke up, and it is just like, beeeeeeeeep. That's all I could hear.
“And I got up and it felt like my mouth was heavy. So I spit on the floor and the bullets came on the floor. And I jumped into my cousin's car and we went to the hospital.”
After months of recovery, Murphy has registered with a nearby MMA gym who recently opened the same year and with seven consecutive UFC victories under his belt, he has not looked back since then.
Spending time in the gym gave the Brit something to really concentrate and this dedication has completely changed its life.
Murphy may not want to talk about this part of his life, but there will be people who are also in difficult positions who can find inspiration in his story.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Lerone Murphy considered changing his nickname because he doesn't want to glorify it
Lerone Murphy was planning his nickname for a while and for a good reason to withdraw.
He does not enjoy glorifying the situation in which he was because of the influence it could have on others by people who think it is cool, while he does not see it that way.
“It's not something nice; it's not a cool story,” said Murphy on 'The Craic with Petesy Carroll'. “Maybe it's for other people, but it's not something I want to become known for. Of course my son will ever ask me about it, but imagine that he types that in YouTube and that he sees all this coming up, you know what I mean? It is negative, who makes it? I don't do it.”
On April 5, Murphy seems to continue his incredible turnout in the UFC with his current performance more than overshadowing how his journey in mixed martial arts started for the first time.
“I want people to know me as a good hunter and not the man who was shot,” he added. “I feel that I have done enough in this game to recognize as a solid hunter.”
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