Eduarda Moura defeated Lauren Murphy via decision at UFC Nashville, was praised by Dana White despite Murphy’s unranked status due to retirement, and expressed excitement about her future prospects, including a potential fight in Rio de Janeiro.
Eduarda Moura defeated Lauren Murphy via decision at UFC Nashville last Saturday in Tennessee. Moments later, she found herself called to Dana White’s room at Bridgestone Arena. Now 2-0 in the flyweight division, with back-to-back wins over Murphy and Veronica Hardy, Moura feels she’s finally being recognized as a prospect.
“I was surprised,” Moura told MMA Fighting. “As soon as I left the fight, I was told Dana White wanted to talk to me. I thought, ‘My God, he’s going to fire me’ [laughs]. Out of nowhere? But no, when he calls a fighter, it’s usually for a good reason. I left that room crying like a baby [laughs].”
White reassured Moura that even though Murphy wasn’t ranked in the top 15 going into the event, she was still one of the best. Murphy had a strong run between 2019 and 2021, earning a shot at Valentina Shevchenko’s belt, though she lost in the fourth round. After beating Miesha Tate in 2022, she had been sidelined since losing to Jessica Andrade in January 2023.
“[White] looked at me and said [Murphy] was the No. 5,” Moura said. “He explained she wasn’t ranked because she was retiring, but I was fighting the No. 5 ranked. He said he’s not the one who does the rankings, journalists do. And honestly, I couldn’t give a crap about the ranking [laughs].”
Moura debuted in the rankings at No. 15. “I’ve fought MMA for three and a half years,” Moura said. “I’m young. I know my flaws and how much I still have to evolve. I’m in no rush. One step at a time. Thank God it worked out now, and I couldn’t be happier.”
In her meeting with White, Moura requested to be part of the UFC Fight Night event in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 11. She even has an opponent in mind: Jamey-Lyn Horth. “I’m not expecting a top-ranked opponent next, but I’ll fight whoever they send me,” Moura said. “We asked for Jamey-Lyn Horth because she fought last month and is available. But again, I’ll fight whoever the UFC sends me.”
Moura plans to take a day off to celebrate with her family in Brazil before resuming training on Wednesday. “I expected it to be a war,” Moura said about the Murphy fight. “I was a bit too nervous because it was the most important fight of my career. I played it safe. I knew how dangerous and durable she was, so I followed the strategy. She had a good guillotine in the third, but I wasn’t going to tap. I’d go out, but I wouldn’t tap [laughs].”
Moura was thrilled to receive a message from Murphy on Instagram, thanking her for the fight and expressing support. “F*ck, I’m her fan! I really respect her story.”