Eagle River's Lauren Murphy is a fighter.
That might seem obvious considering Murphy's chosen profession as a mixed martial arts athlete. But after suffering the first loss in her pro career last August, Murphy is ready to return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon with a renewed desire to reach the highest level of her sport.
"I'm one of the best fighters in the world and I know that," said Murphy, 31, during a phone interview on Thursday from Virginia, where she's preparing for a Saturday bout against Liz Carmouche on the undercard of the UFC's Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas fight at the Patriot Center in Fairfax.
A bantamweight who cut her teeth fighting in the Alaska Fighting Championships, Murphy made her debut in the UFC – considered the highest level of the sport – against Sara McMann, losing a split decision.
Since then, Murphy said she's redoubled her training efforts. For the past six months, she said she's been relentlessly working out at the MMA Lab, an elite training center in Glendale, Arizona. There, she said she's improved by leaps and bounds since the McMann fight.
"I'm working with the best team in the world and the best coaches and I think it's really going to show," said Murphy, who has an 8-1 record as a professional. "I think I've improved by 200 percent."
Murphy – currently ranked the world's No. 8 bantamweight by mmarising.com – will fight against Liz Carnouche, a former U.S. Marine who made history by fighting Ronda Rousey in the first UFC women's championship bout in 2013. Carnouche (9-5-0) is ranked No. 9 in the world.
Murphy said she thinks one of the biggest improvements she's made has been mental. Against McMann, she said she had doubts about whether or not she belonged in the octagon against the sport's best.
"I think what cost me that fight was my mental state," she said. "I think I had some doubts."
Although the lost the fight on the judges' scorecards, Murphy said she learned she most definitely belongs.
"I was still able to hang with one of the best girls in the world," she said.
Another key difference between August and now is technique. Murphy said she allowed McMann to take her down and tried to fight from her back. She learned that's not a good strategy, and plans not to make the same mistakes against Carmouche.
"I think she's going to try to take me down, but I just have to have good cage awareness," she said.
Murphy said she's excited to have another UFC opportunity, and that training for her upcoming fight has only served to renew her love of the sport.
"I love my job, I love what I do," she said. "I'm just so glad I'm not stuck in a small town working paycheck to paycheck," she said.
One of the most gratifying parts of her job, Murphy said, is knowing she's got a large fan base in Alaska watching her progress through the ranks.
"I'm really proud to be from Alaska and I want to make them proud," she said.
Murphy said she constantly gets encouragement from fight fans back home, and plans to return home for a visit later this spring with her husband and son.
"I've received a ton of support from the people in Alaska," she said. "I love having a whole state behind me."
Contact reporter Matt Tunseth at 257-4335 or mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com
UFC Fight Night
Patriot Center (Fairfax, Virginia)
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 9 a.m. (AST)
TV: Fox Sports 1
Web: www.ufc.com