Lauren Murphy knew UFC Nashville would be her final walk to the Octagon. But no one expected her goodbye to be this real or this downright wild. In an interview with Sportsnet ahead of the fight, she had confessed, “I have two fights left on my contract, and I don’t want to fulfill the last one. I love the idea of retiring as a UFC fighter.”
At 41, the former title challenger faced Brazil’s Eduarda Moura, a rising force a decade younger and hungry for a signature win. Murphy, sidelined for over a year due to illness and injury, wasn’t just stepping back into the cage; she was stepping into the final chapter of a career that took her from Alaska’s regional scene to the biggest stage in MMA. And when the final bell rang, Murphy hadn’t won the fight, but she made sure to leave her stamp inside the Octagon.
The fight itself was gritty. Murphy opened strong, scoring the first takedown barely a minute in. Moura bounced back, though, and used her speed and power to earn top control. The Brazilian outstruck Murphy on the feet and notched her own takedowns, frustrating the veteran with crisp counters and relentless pressure.
Still, the veteran never backed down. In round three, she nearly pulled off a guillotine choke that had Moura scrambling. The crowd roared as Murphy dug deep and marched forward, jabbing, clinching, and chasing every last second of her career. She even landed a final right hand before the buzzer. But it wasn’t enough.
At least Murphy was honest #UFCNashville pic.twitter.com/uLeKFWRxhS
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 13, 2025
Moura got the unanimous nod (29-28 across the board), and celebrated with a post-fight dance. Yet even as her hand was raised, the spotlight turned back to ‘Lucky’, who had one more surprise to deliver! As the two fighters shook hands and embraced after the fight, Moura began speaking in Portuguese. Murphy looked confused, then cut her off with, “I don’t know what the f— you’re saying.”
It was blunt. And naturally, it went viral in seconds. Then came the mic drop moment. In her post-fight interview, Murphy fired off with, “There’s a lot of people to thank, but first and foremost, I want to f— thank me. I want to thank me for doing all this motherf—– hard work, I want to thank me for being a pioneer for women in this sport, I want to thank me for picking myself up and dusting myself off everytime I got knocked down and f— coming back better every single time. At 41 years old, I’m still in here f— these girls up, man.”
And the fans? They were left in awe as we now take a look at what the online community had to say about this stunning farewell by one of the pioneers of women’s MMA!
Fan reactions pour in after Lauren Murphy’s wild farewell at UFC Nashville
One fan wrote, “She kept it 100 even after catching those hands. Gotta respect the honesty!” They were reacting to both the post-fight verbal exchange with Moura and Lauren Murphy’s brutally honest retirement speech. No excuses, no sugarcoating just pure, emotional transparency from a veteran who’s been through it all.
Another chimed in, “She was on one tonight. First that, then her retirement speech.” ‘Lucky’s rawness caught fans off guard. From brushing off Moura’s Portuguese to shouting out herself instead of coaches or cornermen, she flipped the script on how retirements usually go down.
Someone else wrote, “Murphy really pulled a full truth bomb in the cage.” And they weren’t wrong. Most fighters leave the sport with polished statements and safe thank-yous. Murphy chose a path laced with four-letter words!
One fan said, “So proud of Lauren! A legend that deserves all the good things in life to come.” Murphy’s journey has inspired countless fans. She may not have walked out a winner at UFC Nashville, but she walked out a legend in many viewers’ eyes.
Another simply wrote, “No lies detected.” And that sentiment summed up the night. Lauren Murphy didn’t try to polish her words. She spoke with the rawness of a veteran. Her plans after this? In her aforementioned Sportsnet interview, she shared, “I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with up-and-coming fighters and giving everything I have to that end.”
Ultimately, Lauren Murphy didn’t need her hand raised to win the night. Her words, her walkout, and her refusal to sugarcoat the truth reminded everyone why she’s been such a vital figure in women’s MMA! From scrapping her way out of Alaska to nearly choking out a young prospect in her final round, Murphy left the sport on her terms with a speech that may not soon be forgotten!
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