The subject of the documentary series “Catching Lightning” on Showtime is “Lightning” Lee Murray, who was heralded as the future of mixed martial arts in the early 2000s. Before relocating to the United States to train with and under the best, Lee built a name for himself in the British MMA scene. While he was a dedicated athlete, his boxing career was ended when he was detained for participating in a gang robbery of a Securitas depot in 2006. We learned his net worth at the time of his incarceration because we were interested in his life narrative. What we may discuss on the same is as follows!
How Did Lee Murray Make His Money?
Lee Murray was born on November 12, 1977, in the small English town of Greenwich, which is located in southeast London. In Foxfield Primary School, Eaglesfield Boys School, and Woolwich Polytechnic School, he finished his required schooling. In “Heist: The Real Story of the World’s Largest Cash Theft,” by Howard Sounes, Lee and his best friend Paul Allen, one of the criminals who looted the Securitas depot with the former, trafficked drugs from a very young age and spent the money he made doing so on expensive cars. When Lee’s mixed martial arts career took off, his life eventually transformed.
Fighting was Lee’s clear source of money. On May 5, 1999, he made his debut in “Millennium Brawl,” defeating Rob Hudson in the opening round. Afterwards, he competed in “Ring of Truth 1,” defeating Mike Tomlinson. After that, Lee traveled to the US to compete in “Extreme Challenge 34.” He defeated Chris Albandia in his first fight, but Joe Doerksen was the opponent in his second battle, which he lost. After one no-contest and two draws in 2000 and 2001, respectively, Lee defeated Gary Warren in “MB 3: Independence Day” to resume his winning ways. After that, he competed in “Millennium Brawl 7” and “Millennium Brawl 8,” winning both matches against Kama Boumna and Amir Rahnavardi.
At “UFC 46: Supernatural,” which took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lee made his UFC debut. In the opening round of the competition, he defeated Jorge Rivera. Before being arrested, he competed in one more MMA match at “Cage Rage 8.” Anderson Silva defeated him in the third round of their fight. Although Lee had not yet established himself as one of the top MMA competitors, he enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle that astounded his contemporaries and coaches. MMA promoter David O’Donnell, Lee’s instructor Pat Miletich, and friend and then-competition partner Tony Fryklund were all curious about Lee’s income due to his yellow Ferrari, lavish gratuities, and opulent presents. He was apparently involved in narcotics dealing, according to reports.
Lee Murray’s Net Worth at the Time of His Arrest
Emerging MMA competitors weren’t getting paid a lot for their fights in the early 2000s. Three-time former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre competed in his UFC debut for $3,000 to show and $3,000 to win. Lee Murray must have made about that much per match at the time because he made his debut in the same year. Since that Lee did triumph in two-thirds of his professional contests, he obviously did well in the English MMA competitions. These elements suggest that Lee Murray’s net worth at the time of his arrest was approximately $500,000.