‘That’s f***ed’: Ref slammed after UFC’s Lauren Murphy left unrecognisable

The UFC world has come down hard on a referee who let a fight go on that was so one side one fighter was left unrecognisable.

Lauren Murphy was messed up. Photo: Getty Images

UFC fans have been left stunned after the fourth ranked women’s flyweight Lauren Murphy had her face reconfigured by former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.

The fight was nearly as one-sided an affair as it possibly could have been with Andrade winning on the cards 30-25x2 and 30-26.

It means on two cards, two of the judges felt the second and third rounds were so tipped in Andrade’s favour she had 10-8 rounds.

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At the end of the second, former champ-champ Daniel Cormier said: “I don’t know if I’d stop this fight.”

Jon Anik added: “What are we trying to accomplish by going another five.”

Cormier believed it had already been two 10-8 rounds, with only the third round to go — which was the only unanimous 10-8 round on the scorecards.

With more than two minutes left in the third round, Cormier said Murphy wasn’t even seeing the punches.

“The ref has got to stop it,” he said. “He looks like he wants to, just do it man,” Cormier said.

A minute later amid a flurry of heavy shots, Anik said: “(Referee) Osiris Maia may want to get in there.”

“But he won’t,” Cormier said. “I’m sitting next to (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard and Mick’s saying what does he need to see. This fight could have been stopped a long time ago.”

Lauren Murphy before the fight. Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Seemed to be a rare punch landed from Murphy. Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

At the end of the fight, Cormier said: “It’s so hard to watch this.”

While Andrade looked fresh at the end of the fight, Murphy was disfigured in horrible scenes some fans compared to damage done in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Frankly, it was damage even UFC fighters didn’t want to see.

UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser tweeted: “That was f**ked. Andrade is a monster and Lauren Murphy is one of the toughest humans alive which made that even more rough.”

Bantamweight Cub Swanson added: “Mad props to Lauren Murphy for finishing that fight but her corner should have thrown in the towel”.

😂 I’d throw in the stools, one of the cornermen, my shoes and shirt too.

— Siyar Bahadurzada (@Siyarized) January 22, 2023

That might've been an all-time beatdown. Lauren Murphy somehow makes it to the final horn, but it was all Jessica Andrade and then some. 30-24. Shame on the ref and corner for not stopping that one. @MMADecisions

— Nick Baldwin (@NickBaldwinMMA) January 22, 2023

Apparently there was no ref in that Andrade / Murphy fight because if there had been, it would have been stopped. Andrade was amazing, but maybe the UFC should employ a ref next time. #UFC283

— Gordon Gross (@GMoneyNuggs) January 22, 2023

UFC 283 had two world championships decided with Brandon Moreno won back the UFC Flyweight title he lost to Deiveson Figueiredo in UFC 270.

A huge but legal punch landed a thumb right in Figueiredo’s eye, opening him up and causing a doctor stoppage.

Jamahal Hill also won the light heavyweight championship after repainting the ring with Glover Teixeira’s blood in a brutal physical display.

He almost got caught in the fifth after a takedown but got out and becomes the first fighter from Dana White’s Contender Series to win a UFC championship, doing so in a 50-45x3 cleansweep.

UFC 283 full results

Jamahal Hill defeated Glover Teixeira via unanimous decision (50-45x3) for UFC light heavyweight championship

Brandon Moreno defeated Deiveson Figueiredo via third-round TKO, 5:00 (doctor’s stoppage) for UFC flyweight championship

Gilbert Burns defeated Neil Magny via submission (head/arm choke) (R1, 4:15)

Jessica Andrade defeated Lauren Murphy via unanimous decision (30-25 x2, 30-26)

Johnny Walker defeated Paul Craig via first-round TKO (2:16)

Preliminary Card

Ihor Potieria defeated Mauricio Rua via first-round TKO (4:05)

Brunno Ferreira defeated Gregory Rodrigues via first-round KO (4:13)

Thiago Moises defeated Melquizael Costa via submission (RNC) (R2, 4:05)

Gabriel Bonfim defeated Mounir Lazzez via submission (guillotine) (R1, 0:49)

Jailton Almeida defeated Shamil Abdurakhimov via second-round TKO (2:56)

Cody Stamann defeated Luan Lacerda via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Ismael Bonfim defeated Terrance McKinney via second-round KO (2:17)

Nicolas Dalby defeated Warlley Alves via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Josiane Nunes defeated Zarah Fairn dos Santos via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Daniel Marcos defeated Saimon Oliveira via second-round KO (2:18)