Before losing a split decision to Joanne Calderwood at UFC 242 last September, Lee had won seven consecutive fights, including two titles in LFA. But as the saying goes, you never want to leave your fate in the judges’ hands. But Lee had no excuses for her recent defeat.
“The last fight was not so great. I didn’t do so well,” Lee said. “I wasn’t able to get a finish or capitalize on things I wanted to. This fight I plan on holding nothing back, being relentless and getting a finish.”
Like her last fight, Lee’s goal is to finish her opponent and earn a performance bonus at UFC 247 this Saturday. It’s a goal she feels is attainable thanks to the aggressive style of her opponent, Lauren Murphy.
“(Murphy is) like a robot; non-stop, coming forward,” Lee said. “Her toughness is something I have to prepare for. I strive to be exciting and I try to go out and get a finish.”
It shouldn’t be hard for Lee to find extra motivation. After having to travel all the way to Abu Dhabi for UFC 242, Lee is just 3.5 hours from her hometown in Texas and she expects a lot of friends and family in attendance in Houston.
As for Lee’s strategic preparation in the Octagon, she’s focused a lot on her cardio this camp. Against Calderwood, Lee missed out on opportunities to grab a finish and she’s not going to allow cardio to be a reason for another defeat.
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“I’ve pushed a lot during this camp and really trying to make sure my cardio is much better,” Lee said. “There were opportunities in the last fight where I should’ve gone for a finish. If I get beat, it’s not going to be because of cardio.”
Lee said suffering a loss has lit a fire under her. She’s also been training with Aspen Ladd, and the bantamweight star’s style has allowed Lee to prepare for Murphy’s aggressiveness
“Aspen is a great person for me to train with. She comes forward and nothing slows her down,” Lee said. “Training with her for this fight was what I needed. She’s one of the best out there so I’m lucky to have her on my team.”
And with a win over No. 7-ranked Murphy, Lee has the opportunity to rise again and re-insert herself into the title picture.
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