Lauren Murphy convincingly beat up Miesha Tate for three rounds on her way to a unanimous decision victory tonight at UFC On ABC 3.
Round One:
Tate circles on the outside and feels out with the jab. Murphy stalking her and they go into the clinch briefly. Murphy with a right hand.
Murphy lands a punch and Tate goes for a takedown, but it’s stuffed and Murphy lands a few strikes from in close afterwards.
Theygo back to striking range. Tate pawing out tentatively with the jab as Murphy throws stalks with purpose. However, Tate then lands a nice 1-2.
Tate with a jab, but Murphy comes over the top with a couple of punches. Inside leg kick for Murphy. Murphy with a jab now.
Light jabs from Tate. Murphy in on a takedown and Tate is trying to defend it. She’s relatively successful though Murphy did get her on the mat for a brief moment. They continue to battle as they get back up and Tate manages to press her up against the cage.
Tate going for a takedown of her own now, but she’s not able to secure it as they hit the mat and they go right back up with Tate in the clinch against the cage again.
Murphy reverses the position and then Tate returns the favor and now it’s just a 50-50 situation as they jockey for position.
Tate gets Murphy’s back up against the cage, but only for a moment as they separate to striking range. Jab for Murphy.
Round Two:
Left hand gets through for Tate. She lands the jab again as Murphy comes in. Tate thinks about a takedown, but then doesn’t commit to it.
Murphy lands as nose starts bleeding significantly. Tate also lands solidly though. Tate throwing light punches, but Murphy ducks under and gets a takedown. Tate moving quickly on the mat towards the cage and stands back up, but Murphy is still clinched to her back.
Tate lands a strike as she turns into her opponent. They break apart with Murphy landing an elbow.
Tate starting to press forward now, but Murphy lands the jab and snaps her head back. Tate gets into the clinch, but Murphy drives her into the cage.
Tate lands a punch. Jabs landing well for Murphy as Tate tries to close the range. Tate struggling to establish herself in the fight so far.
Murphy with an uppercut as Tate drives into the clinch. Tate presses Murphy into the cage. She lands a shoulder strike. 30 seconds of the round remaining as Murphy reverses her into the cage. Tate lands a big elbow in close though and then turns into her.
Tate trying for a late takedown but nothing doing and as the round ends Tate has huge swelling on her left cheek.
Round Three:
Jab lands for Tate who needs a big third round here. Light leg kick from Tate. Jab still working for Murphy. Another light kick for Tate.
Tate goes for a takedown, but Murphy does very well to deny that. Good work from her and Tate’s face is a mess at this stage in the fight.
Another clinch situation and Murphy wins out again and lands a good strike to that already swollen face.
No real aggression behind Tate’s work, failing on another takedown attempt and light strikes on the feet.
Finally Tate turns up the heat a little with a flurry of punches with some weight behind them.
Another clinch exchange and Murphy looks strong and lands knees to the body. They break apart again. Stepping jab from Tate. Murphy still finding a home for hers too though. Light kick to the body from Tate and harder punches in return from Murphy.
Decision:
Well, there’s no way to sugar-coat that very disappointing performance from Tate, who just looked flat and uninspired from start to finish, while Murphy was the opposite, looking stronger, sharper and landed by far the more damaging blows that left the former champion’s face an absolute mess en-route to a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x2, 29-28).
After a performance like that you have to think we won’t be seeing Tate at flyweight again, though you’ve got to also wonder whether this kind of a humbling loss will leave her contemplating a second retirement from the sport.
