After 16 pro bouts, which included a one-off appearance for Bellator and a two-fight stint over in India’s Super Fight League that may have done more harm than good (both Murdock’s SFL fights ended in controversy, with one being a cut stoppage that he disputes and the other a TKO loss that he claims was due to a groin strike), Murdock returned to the States at the end of 2018 to pick up a win at a regional show in Michigan. The victory earned Murdock a featherweight belt and put him on the UFC’s radar.
Six months later, the 28-year-old was picked to be a short-notice replacement to fight Jordan Griffin at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis.