Lauren Murphy was beaten but not broken.
That’s the message from the one-time flyweight title challenger, who lost a lopsided decision to Jessica Andrade at UFC 283 after absorbing an obscene amount of damage over three rounds. According to UFC statistics, Andrade connected with 231 significant strikes, which is a new single fight flyweight record.
In fact, Andrade’s striking numbers are the second highest ever for a three-round UFC fight behind only Nate Diaz with 238 in his fight against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Despite all the abuse she received, Murphy thanked her coaches for keeping her alive after so many fighters (from Cub Swanson and Michael Bisping) said that Murphy should have been saved from more harm.
Mad props to Lauren Murphy for finishing that fight but her corner should have thrown in the towel @ufc #UFC283
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) January 22, 2023
“Okay so basically every minute I’ve spent in Rio — besides these 15 right here — has been fantastic,” Murphy wrote on Instagram. Murphy wrote on Instagram that the fight had been a brutal one, but it was not as bad as I thought. Sometimes, s*** happens and sometimes you have to take it all in and learn from it. Jessica is an incredible opponent. I’m sure she will teach me a lot. These experiences, both good and bad, have made me an athlete and a person.
“Thankfully I’m all good, nose is a little busted up and my head needs rest, but I’ll be fine in a few days. It was a good thing that my side didn’t end the fight. [To be honest] Although I was sure the referee would stop the fight in round 2, the bell went off before he did. Either way, I was grateful for the chance to keep fighting. My head and nose will heal with rest, and my heart will heal with time.”
While Murphy put forth a valiant effort to survive, she was outlanded by more than a 2-to-1 margin overall in the fight.
Andrade ultimately secured a lopsided unanimous decision win with a pair of 30-25 scorecards, which denotes two separate rounds ended with 10-8 scores, with the third official giving the fight a 30-26.
Regardless, Murphy promises that she’ll heal up and come back better from the result.
“My adult life has been a dream, and sometimes I have to pay for that dream,” Murphy said. While I know that Murphy will return someday, for the moment I am going to rest and lick my wounds .”
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Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/22/23566507/lauren-murphy-reacts-to-loss-to-jessica-andrade-at-ufc-283-im-glad-my-corner-didnt-stop-the-fight?rand=96749
