Lerone Murphy reveals how a near-death experience put him on the path to headlining UFC London

EXCLUSIVE: Lerone Murphy has gone from dealing with a horrifying situation, to becoming one of the best fighters on the planet.

The popular Mancunian used the traumatic event to fuel his fighting fire.

How being shot changed Lerone Murphy’s life for the better

On March 22, Lerone Murphy will headline UFC London at the O2 Arena against Movsar Evloev in a showdown that has captured the imagination of the fans.

The battle between the gifted Russian wrestler and the devastating British striker looks destined to make for a spectacular contest, with the winner potentially earning a shot to face pound-for-pound great, Alexander Volkanovski, for the promotion’s featherweight world title.

Murphy’s determination to reach the top has been nothing short of inspirational, with the Englishman starting his journey just a mere nine months after going through a horrifying ordeal.

After being in what he describes as ‘the wrong place at the wrong time’ while standing outside a barber’s, a gunman opened fire at the athlete, hitting him twice. Following the incident, Murphy was transported to hospital having sustained injuries to his neck and chin.

However, while undoubtedly terrifying, the ordeal gave Murphy the motivation to follow his dreams, with the gifted athlete, who’d previously trained in boxing under his late, legendary uncle Oliver Harrison, deciding to pursue mixed martial arts, where he quickly excelled past his peers and became a truly formidable competitor.

Now, over a decade since that day, Murphy has cemented his status as one of the best mixed martial artists in British history, and inspired up-and-coming fighters from every corner of the country.

Discussing the impact of that moment during an exclusive interview with Sporf, he explained: “It was a pivotal moment in my life. The way I look at it in hindsight is that it’s something that needed to happen to put me on the path that I’m on now. I don’t look at it in a negative light; I look at it as a positive. Now, we’re onto bigger and better things. I’m undefeated in the UFC and fighting in the main event in London; what more could I want in life? I’m happy.”

Lerone Murphy honed his skills with a UFC legend

To become the best, Murphy has had to train with the best. In addition to working on his craft at Manchester Top Team, the warrior has also forged a fantastic friendship with Dominick Cruz, with the ferocious puncher, flying out to the US to soak up the wisdom of the greatest bantamweight of all time.

The 34-year-old reminisced: “I first went to San Diego in 2015, for his camp when he fought T.J. Dillashaw. I was learning from him, I was an amateur then. So, learning the ropes from someone at championship level was a great experience and it helped me in my career. I can call him at anytime, and get advice. I went to watch UFC 324 in Vegas, and he helped me out with a few bits there. It’s great to get knowledge from someone at championship level.”

Now, at the top of his game, Murphy knows he’s on the cusp of winning a UFC title himself. However, in order to get the opportunity, he’ll have to overcome Evloev first.

When asked how to beat the esteemed grappler, the sportsman replied: “The key to victory is good defensive wrestling, vicious offense, putting him in bad positions, and making him make mistakes. I’m looking forward to the fight.”

Tickets for UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy are on sale now via AXS

Featured Image Credit: Getty