I was going to be UFC champion – but now I'm in prison for $92M robbery
10/31/2024 09:28 AM
Lee Murray could've been a UFC superstar, but now he's serving 25 years in prison for his involvement in the largest cash heist in British history.
'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.
The then-26-year-old used his post-fight interview to call out UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz after previously knocking him out during an infamous street fight.
However, his life went downhill fast and he never fought in MMA’s premier promotion ever again.
Road rage incident ruined Lee Murray's life
The notorious MMA star believes one moment of road rage madness was the catalyst as he went from a fighter on the rise to a convicted felon with a quarter-of-a-century sentence.
Murray was heading to a family gathering on Christmas Day with his eight-month-pregnant wife Siobhan and six-year-old daughter Lily when the incident that effectively ended his MMA career took place.
After overtaking a car, he claims was driving 'about 10 miles per hour', the other vehicle cut back in front of Murray, smashed his car, and triggered a high-speed pursuit.
Murray eventually bailed the situation to protect his family, but the man returned and used his car as a weapon in an attempt to settle their road rage incident.
He explained in Showtime's 'Catching Lightning' documentary about his life: "All the windows have gone through, there's glass all over my daughter, she’s in the back of the car screaming and he's going backward and forward ramming my car."
“I've managed to get the door open. I've put my arm across his throat to try and get the keys out of the ignition and he's bit a hole in my arm. I've managed to get him out of the car. I hit him with one punch, apparently, that broke his cheekbone. Then I've hit him again and he went out. He's trying to kill my family. I gave him the least of what he should've got, he should've got a lot more than what I gave him."
Murray was charged with assault. The incident pretty much ended his MMA career as he was no longer able to travel to America and his dream of becoming a UFC champion was over.
The case against him was dropped when it was later revealed the man he got into an altercation with had previously been jailed for his role in another road rage incident.
Still, Murray remained barred from the U.S. and it wasn't long before other events in his life made the budding MMA prospect consider a dramatic career change.
Anderson Silva, stabbing and historic heist
Murray tried to continue his combat sports career. A young Brazilian by the name of Anderson Silva beat him by decision in his next and last MMA fight before going on to become one of the greatest fighters of all time.
In September 2005, the 8-2-1 MMA professional was stabbed in the heart during a 15-man brawl outside a nightclub, and that was the moment that truly brought an end to his MMA career.
In 2006 Murray and a group of masked men ransacked a Securitas depot in Kent, England, and walked away with $92.2million in a shocking robbery that made worldwide news.
Some of his accomplices remain at large and much of the stolen money is still unaccounted for.
Others involved in the robbery have done their time and been released from jail, but Murray is currently serving 25 years in a Moroccan prison for his leading role.
When he's released from prison in 2035, Murray will be 57 years old. Still, he's planning to return to MMA in some form and ultimately realize his UFC championship dream three decades later than he could have.
"Fighting's my life. Fighting's in my blood," he concluded.
"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."
