UFC Athlete Lerone Murphy Reveals Olympic Ambitions – For Pickleball
Lerone Murphy may be on the cusp of his first UFC title opportunity, but the Manchester native hopes to one day go from the Octagon to the Olympic stage for, of all sports, Pickleball.
In August, ‘The Miracle’ scored his ninth win under the UFC banner, scoring an epic first-round knockout over former Bellator star Aaron Pico in Chicago. The victory seemingly thrust Murphy to the front of the line in the featherweight division, even earning the attention of division champion Alexander Volkanovski.
While his clash with ‘The Great’ feels inevitable, Murphy has aspirations that might even be bigger than a UFC championship.
“I’m just learning, just getting better, but I’m aiming for the Olympics, and I’m playing with teammate Jordon Barton, James Steers, and Tom, who owns the gym,” Murphy said in the above clip. “We’re going to have a great game today. Let’s go.
For those unfamiliar, Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Thus far, Pickleball has not been introduced to the Olympics, but it was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2019, paving the way for it to be introduced as early as the 2032 Summer Games in Brisbane.
Murphy’s Olympic Pickleball aspirations may have to wait a while, but that’ll give the Manchester Top Team star plenty of time to build a legacy inside the Octagon before moving on to one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.
