Murphy Defends Corner From Towel Backlash

UFC flyweight contender Lauren Murphy was brutalized by fellow 125-pound veteran Jessica Andrade as part of the UFC 283 pay-per-view (PPV) main card, which took place last weekend (Sat., Jan. 21, 2023) at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Murphy lost a lopsided decision with scores of 25-30, 25-30, and 26-30.

The 39 year-old TUF veteran absorbed 237 strikes — 161 to the head.

“The fight was a beatdown but not the way I imagined it,” Murphy wrote on Instagram. “Sometimes shit goes down and you just gotta learn from it and get better. Jessica is an insanely tough opponent and I will learn a lot from her. All these experiences – the good ones and bad ones – make me a better athlete and human. 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.”

During the one-sided affair, referee Osiris Maia was getting shelled on Twitter by outraged fans and fighters, who also blasted the “Lucky” corner for allowing her prolonged beating to continue. Murphy, however, is grateful her coaches gave her the opportunity to stage an epic comeback, regardless of how much damage she incurred.

“I’m glad my corner didn’t stop the fight,” Murphy continued. “To be honest I thought the ref was going to stop it in the second round but the bell rang before he decided to. 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. My adult life has been a dream, and sometimes I have to pay for that dream. I’ll be back sometime, but for now I’m just gonna lick my wounds and rest a bit.”

Murphy (16-6) is ranked two spots ahead of Andrade (24-9) at No. 4 but you can expect that to change later this week when the official UFC rankings are updated.