Undefeated UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy has explained why Mike Tyson has always been a big inspiration of his.
On Saturday night, Lerone Murphy will attempt to make his case for a shot at the UFC featherweight championship. He'll do this by trying to defeat Aaron Pico, who has a lot of hype behind him after making the move over from the Bellator-PFL brand. Of course, while Murphy may be unbeaten, this isn't exactly going to be a walk in the park for him.
For Lerone Murphy, it's about proving a point. He isn't the most thrilling fighter in the division when it comes to picking up stoppage wins, but so long as he can keep grinding out victories, it'll be hard to deny that he deserves a shot at the belt.
In a recent interview with Card Player, Lerone Murphy spoke candidly about why he sees Mike Tyson as an inspiration in his career.
Lerone Murphy reveals Mike Tyson as his inspiration
“My inspiration has always been Mike Tyson, just because I believe he had a similar upbringing as me, around the same stuff. And then turned his life around, went into fighting early and just smashed it and he was just himself. I've read his book and I've watched all his podcasts. That's somebody that inspired me the most in terms of combat sports. He also had a crazy mindset that I relate to.”
Quotes via Card Player
Can Murphy extend his unbeaten run on Saturday? We'll have to wait and see.