“I’ve lived a completely different life before MMA.” Lerone Murphy was always a troublemaker. However, when he turned 17, things began to take a darker turn for the mixed martial artist. Living in Manchester, his life was greatly impacted by the rising crime rates and the spreading infection of gang culture. Yes, he was caught up in front of a gun barrel.
Murphy was just 21 years old when he faced the near-death experience. It was a moment that changed the entire course of his life. But the world still wonders how he survived after getting shot in the face, not once, but twice. Let’s find out what the featherweight star had to go through.
How did Lerone Murphy survive the near-death experience?
Lerone Murphy got shot in the face in broad daylight while walking down a suburb of South Manchester. The two bullets pierced his cheek and dislodged his mandible. And seemingly exited through the base of his neck. Yes, he still wears the scars of that incident – A deep dimple on his cheek and an indent on his neck. It was indeed a miracle that he survived. As per The Athletic, Murphy claimed that it was just like dying in the video game ‘Call of Duty’.
He said, “So I get shot, I went on the floor, I woke up, and it’s just like, beeeeeeeeeeep. That’s all I could hear. And I stood up, and it felt like my mouth was heavy. So I spat on the floor, and the bullets came out on the floor. And I jumped in my cousin’s car, and we went to the hospital.” The doctors stitched him up and closed the wounds, but the trauma still remained with the featherweight fighter.
Murphy continued, “It was mental. I was asleep for probably two days in the ICU, like in a coma. I was asleep for two days, so I didn’t really see all of that. But when I woke up, it was just like, all my family’s there, all my friends are downstairs. It was crazy, man. It was crazy.”
Murphy, reportedly, had to spend about 6 months to rehabilitate himself. No wonder people call him ‘The Miracle’ now.
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But this wasn’t the only incident where Murphy teased death and came back alive. About a decade after getting shot in the face, ‘The Miracle’ got into a collision while riding his bike, which left him in a terrible state. Let’s learn more about it.
Lerone Murphy’s horrific bicycle accident
Murphy had a brief talk with Ariel Helwani back in 2023, where he recalled his terrible bicycle accident. He said, “I’m lucky it happened where it happened because if it would have happened in a little dark street, for one the guy would have got off, he would have drove off; and two, nobody would have been there to help me and luckily someone came out of the house with a towel and stopped the bleeding and that’s what saved me. So yeah, it was bad, and the ambulance took 45 minutes to come.”
Well, the accident took place in 2022, when Murphy was cycling in Manchester City. However, when he took a turn, a vehicle that was taking a right turn crashed into him. While waiting for the ambulance, which took 45 minutes, ‘The Miracle’ was bleeding out on the street. All he felt during that long wait was numbness. He continued, “Me, I was just there, sat on the floor thinking, I’m done, I’m gone, and luckily I’m still here.”
The accident put him in the hospital for quite some time. Even after he got out, he had to deal with post-concussion syndrome. Well, this syndrome occurs when the symptoms of a concussion stay for a time longer than the expected recovery time. Thankfully, Murphy bounced back and won 4 back-to-back fights after that. Now, he’s set to land against Josh Emmett at UFC Vegas 105.
Are you inspired by The Miracle’s story? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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