On Saturday, August 16 in Bangor, Maine, fans were treated to another UFC card that delivered on many levels. We got to see fights finished, most impressively by Tim Boetsch and Ross Pearson, and some questions answered, including is Ovince Saint Preux ready to be the next big thing? One fight however, seemed to raise not only eyebrows, but also brought up an often visited debate: Did the judges get it right?
In her UFC debut Lauren Murphy put on a great show against #3 ranked bantamweight Sara McMann Landing 193 of 236 total strikes and 48 of 83 significant strikes, with numbers like that how did she end up on the wrong end of a split decision? The answer: Takedowns. Although she was unable to do any damage from top position, McMann was successful in five of her nine takedown attempts and managed to spend a significant amount of time in top position. Should takedowns alone with no damage done be enough to win fights when the combatant being taken down is obviously outworking his or her opponent? It’s a question as old as the unified rules of MMA.
I had the pleasure of talking with former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Lauren Murphy to get her take on the decision and how she felt about her UFC debut.
Aaron Robbins: Hey Lauren, thank you so much for sitting down with me and chatting. I’m sure your fans are very interested in what you have to say about your debut. Lauren, your fight with Sara McMann has been receiving a lot of attention, with the majority of it questioning the decision. Could you let the fans know what was going on in your mind during the fight, and did you think you were doing enough to take the fight?
Lauren Murphy: “During the fight I felt I won the first round for sure. I felt I was the only one doing the work. I landed a significant amount of strikes, I was hurting her from the bottom with elbow strikes. She was wincing from my strikes and I was hoping that I could cut her with my elbows. There are a lot of ways to generate power from the bottom, like slip elbows, and I was just trying to beat her up as much as I could from that position. I went to my corner believing I took the first round for sure. Sara did almost nothing during that round. She was landing strikes for about five seconds and I thought to myself that five seconds out of a five minute round just wasn’t enough to win. So yeah, I went to the corner pretty confident. I knew I had lost the second round, but I clearly won the third, so I got up from the mat positive that I had taken the fight from her.”
AR: There are a lot of fans blowing up social media that agree with your assessment of the action inside the cage. Of course the fans in attendance and at home don’t have a first person view of what’s happening in the octagon. Tell us what was being said in your corner, and were they under the impression that you were doing enough?
LM: “You know in the moment, yeah, I think they were pretty confident. Although, my coach, John Crouch is always telling us to never end up on the bottom. He was telling me that I looked good, not to worry because Sara couldn’t pass my guard, and to try to cut angles and keep the fight standing. In the second round I wasn’t able to stick to that game plan, but in the third round I thought I delivered. I was able to be on top and decisively put that round in my favor.”
AR: So clearly you believed you had taken the first and third rounds. With that being said, I’m sure it was devastating to hear the judges’ decision. Can you tell the fans what was going through your mind?
LM: “I was very heartbroken. It’s always heartbreaking to lose, but when it’s your UFC debut it’s worse. I know they went with her (McMann) because she was controlling from the top position, but I don’t consider it control on the mat when you are doing nothing and getting your head bashed in, but that’s just me. That’s not how the judges saw it. When they said split decision I was thinking come on, come on please (laughs) losing is just a new experience for me because it’s the first time I didn’t leave with my hand raised.”
AR: Although it is difficult to be on the wrong end of a decision for the first time, it has been my experience that a lot of fighters come back from their first defeat better than they were previously. Tell us, what did you take away from the loss, and what differences will the fans see from you next time?
LM: “Absolutely, I’ve already watched the fight like 16 times, and have picked apart what I could do better. Part of it was what was going on mentally before the fight. I think I expected more of Sara, it might sound weird, but she is ranked number 3 in the UFC, and if that is where the bar is set, I’m not all that impressed with it. I’m on the upswing. I’m still growing, and learning, and getting better with every fight. I think before this fight I was buying into what the oddsmakers had to say, and that’s never going to happen again. The most important thing I’m taking away from this is knowing that I absolutely belong in the UFC. I’m strong enough and good enough to fight at that level. I think that going into that fight I didn’t really believe that in my heart, and that cost me.”
AR: That’s a great attitude to have, and I’m sure that confidence level with reflect on your next performance So, with that in mind what’s next for you Lauren?
LM: “I don’t know what the UFC has in mind for me, but I went to right back to practice and we looked at getting up from the bottom, and how to avoid ending up on your back. It stings to have to look at your mistakes, but it’s absolutely necessary to grow as a fighter. I went in the gym with my head held high and everybody was just great. I have a great support system.”
AR: Fantastic! Well Lauren, that about wraps it up for me. Any shout-outs?
LM: “Yes, I want to say thanks to my husband, Joe Murphy. I may be the one in the ring, but we are definitely a team. A big thank you to my manager, Chuck Wichert, he has been fabulous since day one. Also, my team at The Lab, especially Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, and to Torque gear. Thank you guys!”
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_chirodoc. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For more great MMA interviews with the biggest fight stars on the planet, remember to check out Hammer MMA Radio on 93.3 CFMU or find their latest episodes on our main page’s sidebar. Hammer Radio features interviews from some of the industry’s biggest stars. You can find the latest on the Hammer @SteveJeffery.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Main Photo
