Sherdog’s Top 10: Might Have Beens

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5. Lee Murray

Before examining the abbreviated fighting career of the man known as “Lightning,” it is important to understand that Murray never reached his potential as a mixed martial artist because he held his bank account in much higher esteem than the law.

In February 2006, Murray reportedly masterminded a robbery of approximately $92 million from a Securitas Depot in Tonbridge, England. He was sentenced to 10 years in a Moroccan jail in June 2010, and that term was extended to 25 years some five months later. Murray’s story has been romanticized repeatedly, most famously in Sports Illustrated, and a movie adaption of the fighter-turned-bank-robber’s life has reportedly been in the works for some time now.

Murray has several fights of note on his resume, including a three-round unanimous decision defeat at the hands of future UFC titlist Anderson Silva in what turned out to be his final bout at Cage Rage 8 “Knights of the Octagon” on Sept. 11, 2004. “The Spider” was nowhere near the peak of his powers at the time, but it is worth mentioning that none of the Brazilian’s next 11 victims saw the judges’ scorecards against him. In compiling an 8-2-1 record, Murray finished all eight of his victories by knockout or submission and earned triumphs against Jose Landi-Jons and Jorge Rivera, whom he submitted inside of a round in his lone UFC appearance.

In an interview with MiddleEasy.com, which allegedly took place in his jail cell in 2011, Murray claimed to have the tools to beat Silva if they ever met again, saying the 185-pound champion feared him. Whether one trusts the legitimacy of the interview or not, Murray’s legend only grew because of it.

Murray’s most talked-about fight did not come within the confines of the cage, however. Following UFC 38, Murray purports to have knocked out Tito Ortiz in a back alley street fight outside of a nightclub in London. Unfortunately for Murray, his story, at far as it relates to his fighting career, does not appear headed for a Hollywood ending.

Number 4 » Gifted Yet Troubled