Lauren Murphy Record: 16-7-0

Climbing the flyweight ranks

The launch of the women's flyweight division reset Murphy's career. She appeared on the reality series that crowned the inaugural champion, then in late 2017 beat former champion Barb Honchak by split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale. After a 2018 decision loss to Sijara Eubanks, Murphy found her best form, stringing together a long winning run. She out-pointed Andrea Lee at UFC 247 in February 2020, beat the veteran Roxanne Modafferi that June, and submitted Liliya Shakirova with a second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 254. A 2021 split-decision win over Joanne Wood made it five straight and pushed her into title contention.

Title shot and final chapter

That streak earned Murphy a shot at pound-for-pound great Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266 in September 2021, where she was stopped by strikes in the fourth round – the lone knockout loss of her career. She rebounded with a unanimous-decision win over former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate in 2022, a marquee result that underscored her staying power among the division's elite. Decision losses to Jéssica Andrade in 2023 and rising prospect Eduarda Moura in 2025 closed out a 12-year professional run.

Fighting style

Murphy was a pressure-based, volume striker who fought best leaning on her cardio and grit over three rounds. Her finishing came largely from ground-and-pound and accumulated damage – eight of her wins were by knockout or TKO against just one submission, with seven decisions filling out a 56% finish rate that belied how often she went the distance. She was durable, taking only one knockout loss across 23 fights, but six of her seven defeats came by decision, a sign that elite-level fighters could out-point her in close, technical battles. Her grappling, built from a jiu-jitsu foundation, gave her the control to grind out rounds.

Career highlights

• UFC flyweight title challenger — a five-fight winning streak earned Murphy a championship shot against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266, the peak of a remarkable climb.
• Wins over former champions — she beat Barb Honchak and ex-bantamweight queen Miesha Tate, proving she belonged among the division's best.
• Improbable journey — from addiction and a late start to a 12-year UFC career and 16 professional wins, Murphy became one of the sport's most resilient success stories.