Lauren Murphy insists she is 'glad' her corner allowed her to fight on against Jessica Andrade despite the brutal nature of her defeat at UFC 283.
Murphy, 39, was on the wrong end of a one-sided beatdown in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday night, with Andrade claiming the victory thanks to two scores of 30-25 and one of 30-26.
However, many felt the Arizona flyweight should have been saved from herself after receiving heavy punishment throughout the contest, only for her team and referee Osiris Maia to decide against bringing it to a halt.
Former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier was heard urging Maia to do so on commentary, saying: 'The ref has got to stop it. He looks like he wants to, just do it man.
Lauren Murphy insists she is 'glad' her corner allowed her to fight on against Jessica Andrade
Murphy was on the wrong end of a brutal beatdown against Andrade at UFC 283 on Saturday
'But he won't. I'm sitting next to (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard and Mick's saying what does he need to see. This fight could have been stopped a long time ago.'
Fellow commentator Jon Anik also added before the third and final round: 'What are we trying to accomplish by going another five [minutes]?'
Though despite criticism aimed at Maia and her corner, Murphy has admitted she is grateful that both parties allowed her to go the distance.
'Okay so basically every minute I've spent in Rio — besides these 15 right here — has been fantastic,' she wrote on Instagram. 'The fight was a beat down but not the way I imagined it. Sometimes s*** goes down and you just got to 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.
“I knew she was durable but not like that. I had to stop throwing punches because my hands started hurting”
Jessica Andrade couldn’t believe how tough Lauren Murphy was. pic.twitter.com/CBr66dx5Tu
But the Arizona fighter thanked her team and the referee for allowing her to go the distance
'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.
'I'm glad my corner didn't stop the fight. 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.'
Andrade, meanwhile, revealed that she even had to put her attacks on hold at one stage as Murphy's resilience was taking its toll on her hands.
'I knew she was durable but not like that,' she said. 'I had to stop throwing punches because my hands started hurting.'
English (United States) ·