Lerone Murphy ‘fell out of love’ with fighting after Diego Lopes title shot news

UFC featherweight contender Lerone Murphy shared a brutally honest reaction to the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 announcement.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, less than a year since returning to the throne, will defend the belt against the man he opposed in his title-winning performance. Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, who lost to Volkanovski earlier this year at UFC 314, headline an intriguing card at UFC 324.

The Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 announcement came despite unbeaten contenders like Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev waiting in the wings for a title shot. Murphy seemed destined for a fight against Volkanovski after knocking out Aaron Pico at UFC 319, followed by Volkanovski seeming to nod to an impending clash.

In light of the Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 news, Murphy is unsurprisingly perplexed with the UFC’s matchmaking decision, and the news has impacted his passion for MMA.

Lerone Murphy admits diminished passion for fighting after UFC 324 news

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Murphy opened up on the impact the Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 news had on him.

“When I first found out, I fell out of love with it for a bit, I’m not going to lie,” Murphy said.

“I got into MMA over boxing because I thought there were no politics. I thought it was simply: Do the work, the best fight the best, and that’s the way it goes.

“That’s what hurt me the most a bit. I have to get over it — it is what it is, it’s business. Just keep fighting, keep doing what you’re doing, keep winning, and we’ll get there eventually,” Murphy continued. “I think it’s inevitable that it’s going to happen, and you know I’m going to be champion. My road’s never been easy from the get-go.” (h/t Yahoo Sports)

Volkanovski recently admitted that Evloev and Murphy were ‘more deserving’ of a title shot than Lopes. Meanwhile, it appears Murphy may need to win at least one more fight before getting his desired shot at the belt.