Lee Murray could have been a UFC champion, but he made a $92 million mistake that cost him his livelihood.
‘Lightning’ impressed everyone when he beat Jorge Rivera, a future opponent of MMA legend Michael Bisping, in his first and last UFC fight in 2004.
Lee Murray used his post-fight interview to call out UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz after previously knocking him out during an infamous street fight.
Two years later, the middleweight contender led a group of masked men who ransacked a Securitas depot in Kent, England, and walked away with $92.2 million in a shocking robbery, which made worldwide news
Lee Murray ignored advice from boxing legend David Haye
Lee Murray is currently serving 25 years in a Moroccan prison for his leading role in the heist.
The 47-year-old is due to be released in 2035, but it’s hoped he could return home sooner after a petition calling for him to be pardoned garnered thousands of signatures.
Last week, Murray’s old coach, Terry Coulter, touched on the bid to free his most infamous pupil, during a wide-ranging interview about the UFC star turned bank robber.
At one point, Coulter recalled Murray’s sparring with two-weight world boxing champion David Haye, who had initially come to their gym to trade blows with Julius Francis, one of Mike Tyson‘s KO victims.
“As a trainer, you think, out of a million people who walk through the door, one could go all the way,” Coulter said on Anything Goes With James English. “And [Murray] was that one. I just looked at him and thought, ‘Jesus, he’s something special’.”
“When I was training him, we started moving around with Julius Francis, who was the British heavyweight champion then. Julius helped him a lot. Brought him on a lot in sparring because you learn a lot.
“I remember David Haye coming down the gym and sparring with Julius. I said, ‘Can Lee do a couple of rounds with you?’ David Haye said to him afterward, ‘Wow! You need to turn pro. You’re something special. You’ve got a godforsaken talent.’
“To see the way he went, and where he is now, is such a shame.”
Lee Murray still hopes to become a UFC champion
When he’s released from prison in 2035, Murray will be way past his fighting prime at 57 years old.
Still, he’s planning to return to MMA in some form and ultimately realize his UFC championship dream.
“Fighting’s my life. Fighting’s in my blood,” Murray explained during Showtime’s ‘Catching Lightning’ documentary about his life.
“If I’m not in there fighting myself, I’m going to be taking people in there.
“One way or another I need to win that UFC title.
“My story isn’t finished. This isn’t the end.”