The controversy surrounding Lerone Murphy’s loss in front of his home crowd at UFC London now has a painful explanation. Last weekend at the O2 Arena, the Brit entered the fight determined to hand his undefeated Russian opponent, Movsar Evloev, his first defeat. However, as the bout progressed, the momentum shifted.

Murphy started strong, using his footwork and counterstriking to pick at Evloev throughout the first two rounds. Despite this, the Brit for some reason faded in the later rounds. Many expected him to win or at least force a draw. But that didn’t happen. In the end, two judges scored the fight 48-46 for Evloev, while the third judge saw it as a 47-47 draw. Murphy has since revealed on his Instagram story that he tore his hip flexor in the fourth round, adding context to his fade in the final stages.

In the clip on his story, a physiotherapist can be seen administering cryotherapy to Lerone Murphy’s leg and hip. Still, he reassured fans that he would make a comeback soon.

“Tore my hip flexor in rd 4,” the Brit wrote in the caption. “Back in no time.”

The hip flexors are muscles located at the front of the hip and thigh that allow you to lift your knee toward your chest and bend at the waist. These muscles are essential every time the body has to perform a function like walking, running, or climbing stairs. They are especially necessary during a fight when you have to kick or knee your opponent or even evade punches. The tear in his flexor explains why Murphy couldn’t counter effectively or use his kicks to maintain distance with the Russian. This isn’t the first time Lerone Murphy has spoken about his injury.

He revealed it shortly after the fight in a post-fight interview, explaining that he actually slipped in the fourth round, which caused his hip to “pop” out. However, Murphy’s history of recovering from injuries makes this latest setback seem less daunting.

In 2013, a gunman fired three shots at his face, but Murphy survived. Although it pushed him to the brink, he made it through, and a bullet fragment still remains in his tongue.

After the UFC London fight, the Brit initially accepted his loss to Movsar Evloev. However, the online debate over the decision prompted him to watch the fight again, which made him change his tune.

“Just watched the fight back,” he wrote on X, followed by the laughing/sweating emoji. “Congrats to Evloev either way.”

Still, the ship has already sailed. Lerone Murphy must now climb back up all over again if he hopes to earn a title shot. Given his injury, he could remain out of action for a few months, even though he has already started targeting his next possible opponent, who is scheduled to fight at the UFC White House. Recently, on X, ‘The Miracle’ engaged in some back-and-forth with his next potential opponent.

Who’s next in line for Lerone Murphy?

Lerone Murphy isn’t far from returning to title contention, but he must first prove himself against one of the top-five contenders. Among them are No.4 ranked Yair Rodriguez and No.2 ranked Diego Lopes. To get closer to a title shot, the Brit has now set his sights on Lopes.

Murphy’s comments drew the ire of Diego Lopes, who already resented Murphy’s January statement criticizing Lopes’ title shot against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325. Lerone Murphy called the opportunity undeserved and suggested the UFC gave Lopes the shot in an effort to capitalize on the Mexican market. Lopes took exception to this and fired back after his loss.

“No, Lerone, we are not the same,” Diego Lopes wrote on X. “Never do that again.”

The Englishman, however, did not let the moment pass and issued a fiery callout.

“I didn’t lay on my back in guard for three rounds, bro,” he replied. “Let’s fight next.”

If Lopes gets past Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250, a matchup with Lerone Murphy would make sense for both men’s positioning in the division.