Lauren Murphy withdraws from UFC on ESPN fight vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith to recover from surgery

Lauren Murphy will not be part of the UFC’s first show on ESPN.

On Wednesday, the former Invicta bantamweight champion confirmed a report from FloCombat announcing that she will need more time off to recover from surgery and has withdrawn from her flyweight bout with Ashlee Evans-Smith scheduled for Feb. 17 in Phoenix.

“I was so excited to get back in the cage, especially here in Phoenix,” Murphy wrote. “Unfortunately it’s just a little too soon after surgery.”

In August, Murphy, who trains out of The MMA Lab in Glendale, Ariz., shared an Instagram post regarding her foot surgery:

Murphy (10-4) has managed just one Octagon appearance in the last two years, winning a split decision over Barb Honchak in December 2017 and losing a unanimous decision to Sijara Eubanks this past June. The 35-year-old also spent a part of 2017 filming season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter.