Lerone Murphy (born July 22, 1991) is an English
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
who competes in the
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Boxing
Professional boxing
History
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...
division of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
.
Background
Murphy, who was born and raised in
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
, went to St Edward's Primary School in
Rusholme
Rusholme () is an area of Manchester, England, two miles south of the city centre. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 13,643. Rusholme is bounded by Chorlton-on-Medlock to the north, Victoria Park and Longsight to the east, F ...
and St Mary's
Levenshulme
Levenshulme () is an area of Manchester, England, bordering Fallowfield, Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish; it is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester city centre on the A6. Levenshulme is predominantly re ...
and St Anne's High Catholic High School in
Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Lancashire, it borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, th ...
,
Stockport
Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here.
Most of the town is within ...
. He had been a promising footballer, who went on trials for
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
and had trained with both
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
and
FC United
Football Club United of Manchester is a semi-professional football club based in Moston, Manchester, England, that competes in the , the seventh tier of the English football league system, and plays home matches at Broadhurst Park.
Found ...
as a teenager, until at the age of 16 after he suffered a serious knee injury that prematurely ended his football dreams. Being the nephew of Manchester boxing trainer, the late Oliver Harrison, who had trained the likes of
Amir Khan and
Rocky Fielding
Michael "Rocky" Fielding (born 5 August 1987) is a British former professional boxer. He held the WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title in 2018. At regional level, he held the Commonwealth super-middleweight title twice between 2013 and 2017 ...
, Murphy had done some boxing training, but started his MMA training when he walked into the All Powers gym.
On Saturday May 25, 2013, Lerone having just left a barber shop on Lloyd Street South in the Manchester suburb of
Fallowfield
Fallowfield is a suburb of Manchester, England, with a population at the 2011 census of 15,211. Historically in Lancashire, it lies south of Manchester city centre and is bisected east–west by Wilmslow Road and north–south by Wil ...
, was shot by a gunman. Lerone was hit by three bullets, being hit on the face and neck twice. Due to the injuries, Murphy had to get a set of prosthetic teeth and has a tiny shard of bullet, permanently embedded in his tongue.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Making his MMA debut at FCC 15, he faced Martin Fouda and went on to defeat him via unanimous decision. Murphy would go on to defeat Tyler Thomas at Tanko FC 3, Jamie Lee at FCC 18, Nathan Thompson at FCC 19, Terry Doyle at FightStar Championship 14, all via first round TKO. He would go on to defeat his next two opponents via unanimous decision; James McErlean at Evolution Of Combat Fight Night 2 and Anton De Paepe at Celtic Gladiator 22. For his final appearance in the UK regional scene, Murphy won the FCC Featherweight Championship at FCC 23 against Manolo Schianna via TKO in the first round.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Murphy made his UFC debut against
Zubaira Tukhugov
Zubaira Alikhanovich Tukhugov (born January 15, 1991) is a Russian mixed martial artist who fights in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Tukhugov made a name for himsel ...
, who was returning after a three-year lay-off, on September 7, 2019 at
UFC 242
''UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 7, 2019 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event mark ...
. The back-and-forth fight ended in a split draw with one judge assigning each fighter a 29-28 win and the third seeing it as a 28-28 draw.
Murphy faced
Ricardo Ramos on July 16, 2020 at
UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one, earning himself a Performance of the Night bonus.
After his second fight in the promotion, Murphy renewed his contract with the UFC.
Murphy faced
Douglas Silva de Andrade
Douglas Silva de Andrade (born June 22, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background
Silva de Andrade grew up in Castanhal, ...
on January 20, 2021 at
UFC on ESPN 20
''UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 20'' and ''UFC Fight Island 8'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 20, 2021, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, ...
. He won the bout via unanimous decision.
Murphy was scheduled to face
Charles Jourdain on September 4, 2021 at
UFC Fight Night 191
''UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 191 '' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 49'' and ''UFC Vegas 36'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 4, 2021 at the ...
. However, Murphy was pulled from the event due to visa issues, and he was replaced by
Julian Erosa
Julian Ricardo Dulican Erosa (born July 31, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Erosa is also a former CageSport Featherweight and Lightweight Champ ...
.
Replacing an injured
Tristan Connelly
Tristan Connelly (born December 12, 1985) is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter who formerly competed in the featherweight division of the UFC and had previously won the Cage Sports Lightweight Championship, Unified MMA Lightweight Championshi ...
, Murphy stepped in on short notice against
Makwan Amirkhani
Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist at
UFC 267
''UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 30, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
This event took plac ...
on October 30, 2021. Murphy won the bout via knockout early in the second round.
Murphy was scheduled to face
Nate Landwehr
Nathan Wade Landwehr (born June 7, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, he is also a former M-1 Global Feather ...
on March 26, 2022 at
UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus. However, Murphy withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by David Onama.
Murphy is scheduled to face
Nathaniel Wood on March 18, 2023 at
UFC 286
''UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 18, 2023, at The O2 Arena in London, England.
Background
A UFC Welterweight Championshi ...
.
Personal life
Murphy has a son.
Championships and achievements
Mixed martial arts
*Full Contact Contender
** FCC Featherweight Championship (One Time)
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
**
Performance of the Night
UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
(One time)
*
MMAjunkie.com
MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...
**2021 October Knockout of the Month
vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Win
, align=center,
,
Makwan Amirkhani
Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist
, KO (knee)
,
UFC 267
''UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 30, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
This event took plac ...
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 0:14
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center,
,
Douglas Silva de Andrade
Douglas Silva de Andrade (born June 22, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background
Silva de Andrade grew up in Castanhal, ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–0–1
,
Ricardo Ramos
, TKO (punches)
,
UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:18
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Draw
, align=center, 8–0–1
,
Zubaira Tukhugov
Zubaira Alikhanovich Tukhugov (born January 15, 1991) is a Russian mixed martial artist who fights in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Tukhugov made a name for himsel ...
, Draw (split)
,
UFC 242
''UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 7, 2019 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event mark ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–0
, Manolo Scianna
, TKO (punches)
, Full Contact Contender 23
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:22
,
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0
, Ayton De Paepe
, Decision (unanimous)
, Celtic Gladiator 22
,
, align=Center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, James McErlean
, Decision (unanimous)
, Evolution Of Combat: Fight Night 2
,
, align=Center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Terry Doyle
, TKO (punches)
, FightStar Championship 14
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:42
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Nathan Thompson
, TKO (punches)
, Full Contact Contender 19
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:48
,
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Jamie Lee
, TKO (punches)
, Full Contact Contender 18
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:55
,
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Tyler John Thomas
, TKO (punches)
, Tanko Fighting Championships 3
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:55
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Martin Fouda Afana Bipouna
, Decision (unanimous)
, Full Contact Contender 15
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Bolton
Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...
, England
,
See also
*
List of current UFC fighters
This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC)
* Daichi Abe - (UFC, Pancrase)
* Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride)
* Papy Ab ...
*
List of undefeated mixed martial artists
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Lerone
Living people
1991 births
English male mixed martial artists
Featherweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
British shooting survivors