Sherdog’s Top 10: Memorable UFC Debuts
Number 9
Lee
Murray made only one appearance in the UFC, but it was memorable. |
Photo: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com
9. Lee
Murray
UFC 46 “Supernatural”
Jan. 31, 2004 | Las Vegas
Murray’s submission victory against Jorge Rivera at the Mandalay Bay Events Center marked his first and last fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Dressed like Hannibal Lecter for his walk to the Octagon, Murray needed less than two minutes to force Rivera to tap to a beautiful triangle armbar. Lightning did not strike twice for “Lightning” Lee, as he never again set foot inside the Octagon. His last professional fight came against Anderson Silva at a Cage Rage event in 2004, when he lost a unanimous decision to “The Spider.”
Legal issues rendered Murray incapable of obtaining a passport for overseas travel. To this day, he remains best known for his criminal activities. 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.
Number 8 » Houston Alexander
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