UFC 283’s Lauren Murphy thinks Valentina Shevchenko won’t win forever
RIO DE JANEIRO – Lauren Murphy Thinks of the idea beating Valentina Shevchenko isn’t as inconceivable as it once was.
Murphy (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who returns to action against Jessica Andrade (23-9 MMA, 14-7 UFC) in a key women’s flyweight bout on Saturday at UFC 283, had already tried to get Shevchenko, dominant divisional titleholder (23-3 MMA and 12-2 UFC), but it was too late.
Shevchenko received a fourth-round TKO Over Murphy in UFC 266 September 2021. However, her next fight almost cost her the belt. In June 2022, she won a split decision against Taila Santos at UFC 275. She went down to the wire in a fight many fighters and fans believe she lost.
It’s Murphy’s ultimate goal to get back to another title shot, and while Shevchenko looked untouchable going into their first encounter, Murphy has a different perspective now.
“I thought Taila won that fight,” Murphy told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 283 media day. “I think it definitely showed she’s human. Everyone is capable of winning. Everyone has their good and bad days. This sport is not for everyone. There is no way to win forever. Nobody can win forever. There’s a couple guys that retired on top, but I just don’t think Valentina’s different from any other human being on the planet. She’s not going to win forever. She’s not going to be the champ forever. She definitely faced some adversity in her last fight, and I think everybody noticed.”
Murphy takes on Andrade in the main card at UFC 283, which will air on pay-per view following prelims on ABC, ESPN+ and ESPN. It’s a critical fight for the 125-pound weight class, especially with Shevchenko recently calling upon contenders To come for her belt.
The upside of a potential win over Andrade is significant, but Murphy said it’s important for her to keep focus on completing the mission, and not what the fallout could be.
“I don’t see why not,” Murphy said of a potential title shot with a win. “I haven’t even thought about it. We’ll have to see what the fight goes and what’s going to happen before we start talking about what’s going to happen afterward.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.