Lerone Murphy says fighting is his “therapy” as he prepares to fight Dan Ige at UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

The fighter from Manchester has been nicknamed ‘The Miracle’ because he has experienced two near-death moments in his life.

Murphy was shot in the face in 2013 and collided with a car while cycling in 2022.

The 33-year-old is at the peak of his fighting career with an undefeated record, and he says every fight in his 15-fight career has been a “therapy appointment.”

“That’s what fighting is for me, you get to know yourself a lot better. I feel like all fighters have some kind of demons; it’s strange,” Murphy told BBC Sport.

“It’s a constant test, the mixed emotions you get, the rollercoaster of emotions.

‘I feel like it makes you a better person and I really need to fight. It’s good for me.’

Murphy, who says he has not undergone any therapy outside the cage, is coming off the biggest win of his career against top contender Edson Barboza.

The May fight was awarded ‘Fight of the Night’ and marked the first time Murphy has headlined as a UFC fighter.

But Murphy is still building his reputation in the division, with the likes of British stars Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall gaining the most traction in the past year.

Murphy is one of the few UFC fighters from England who is still undefeated and says he knows his talents have “gone under the radar”.

“It’s just because I’m quiet. No one recognized Leon until he won the title,” Murphy said.

“I think you don’t have to go out there and be loud-mouthed, but you have to do more work in the cage if you’re not.

“But for me, I’m just focused on what I’m really doing. If I win this fight, I’ll be 15-0 (with one draw), you can’t deny me that.”