“I didn’t know if I belonged in the UFC, if I was good enough to be there. I wasn’t quite sure if I was a good fighter or not.”
That’s not something you often hear from a fighter in advance of their third trip into the Octagon, someone who arrived on the biggest stage in the sport with an unblemished record, a championship belt over her shoulder and the potential to make some noise in the women’s bantamweight division.
Then again, most fighters aren’t as willing to lay themselves bare as Lauren Murphy is.
The 32-year-old former Invicta FC champion has been sitting on the sidelines for 10 months, champing at the bit to get back into the cage to face late replacement Kelly Faszholz on Sunday after suffering her second straight decision loss to Liz Carmouche last April.