ABU DHABI – Lauren Murphy beat Liliya Shakirova with a second-round submission Saturday on the main card at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Murphy, who picked up her fourth straight win.
Murphy on the fight’s key moment
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 24: (R-L) Uzbekistan punches Lauren Murphy in their women’s flyweight bout during the UFC 254 event on October 24, 2020 on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“I wanted to hit her a little harder, but everybody in the UFC is good. We’re definitely going to take some things away that I can work on from this, which is perfect. I still got my first submission, which was a big goal for us, big challenge. But to do it here in Abu Dhabi, it’s just really something special. I’m very, very happy.”
Murphy on the people around her
Lauren Murphy
“It feels great. My confidence is probably the No. 1 thing that I’ve improved. My striking is the second thing that I’ve improved the most. Just going through the process and staying clam has been huge. I’ve gotten a ton of help. It takes a village to make a fighter. I utilize the best of the best in every aspect. I have the best sports psychologist, the best nutritionist, the best strength and conditioning. I have the best striking coaches, the best grappling coaches. Literally, I hand-picked a team to be around me that is the best of the best, and I think it’s showing.”
Murphy on what she wants next
“I want a title shot next. I want a shot at the champion, whoever that may be. I yelled at the media to stop overlooking me. Stop overlooking me. I’m ranked No. 5 right now. What is that? … Hopefully everyone will stop overlooking me. Almost my whole career, I’ve been the underdog. People have looked past me, and I think that’s going to stop now. I’ve really grown into myself as an athlete. I’m a veteran in this game. I’ve seen it all, I’ve done it all and I think people are not going to look past me anymore.”
To hear more from Murphy, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.