“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 a 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.

 Why was Lerone Murphy shot?

Lerone Murphy, in 2013, got shot in the face in broad daylight while walking down a suburb of South Manchester. While he hasn’t spoken about the specifics regarding the reason he was attacked, the common belief regarding the accident is that it was a gang-related violent act. The undefeated featherweight fighter mentioned that he was just ” in the wrong place at the wrong time” during an interview with the BBC.

The featherweight star also claimed to have felt heavy in his face. And that all happened due to the blood and bullets he had in his mouth. And if you’ve guessed it, the injuries from the gunshots really did a number on him, as he had to spend a lot of time in the hospital to recover from them. Let’s take a look at what he had to say about that experience.

Lerone Murphy suffered horrendous injuries from the shooting incident

During the aforementioned incident, two bullets pierced Lerone Murphy’s 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 told ‘The Athletic’, “So I get shot, I went on the floor, I woke up, and it’s just like, beeep. 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. 

Lerone 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.

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. 

Another near-death accident in Lerone Murphy’s life

Lerone Murphy had a brief talk with Ariel Helwani back in 2023, where he recalled his terrible bicycle accident. 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.

The featherweight star 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.” 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 last longer than the expected recovery time. Thankfully, Murphy bounced back and has remained undefeated in the UFC. Now, the English fighter will welcome Aaron Pico at UFC 319, so let us know who you think will win in the comments down below.