According to a UK Tabloid, We Might See Lee Murray Fight Again Soon

If the UK's Daily Star is to be believed, one of MMA's most infamous characters is poised for a comeback—just so long as he's actually released from the Moroccan prison where he's currently being detained.

If you haven't figured it out by now, we're talking about Lee Murray, a British-Moroccan middleweight whose fearsome striking—and absurd out-of-cage actions—made him an MMA star in the early 2000s.

Murray, who is now 38, was last seen in competition in September 2004, when he battled Anderson Silva to a unanimous decision loss. Since then, he's made plenty of headlines—but not for his accomplishments as a fighter.

In 2006, Murray and several accomplices broke into a Securitas cash depot in Kent, UK, detained and threatened to kill the employees on site, and made off with £53 million in cash (more than 90 million USD) in an event deemed the biggest cash heist in British history. Then, after escaping to Morocco with an accomplice, Murray was arrested on unrelated charges, before eventually being identified as the man behind the Securitas heist.

From there, the UK attempted to extradite Murray back to the country. A hearing in Morocco, however, deemed the former fighter a Moroccan national, which meant he would be tried under the North African country's laws.

Murray's 2010 trial in Morocco resulted in a ten-year sentence which, according to BBC News, was later increased to 25 years, when Kent police implored his initial sentence was too lenient. Given that you've got fingers to count on, you've probably determined that this means Murray is about 6 years into his sentence.

So, why the hell is he prepping for a comeback?

Well, according to Daily Star, one of Murray's key accomplices, a man named Paul Allen, has been granted early release from a UK prison on good behavior. This has apparently given Murray hope for similar treatment. And while Murray is rumored to have attempted an escape from prison before his trial was even underway, the Daily Star reports that he's recently been on such good behaviour that the guards have allowed him to train as much as he wants and enjoy conjugal visits.

While it's certainly hard to imagine Murray taking part in any serious training from the inside of a Moroccan prison, Daily Star reported that the one-time UFC vet has "recruited two Thai boxers to get him fighting fit."

Daily Star was also able to secure comments from an unnamed "source close to Murray," who touched on the former fighter's current mindset.

"Lee believes that he still has a lot to live for and he won't accept he will spend the rest of his days in jail," the source is reported to have said. "He says he has lawyers on the case. That is why he is training."

This unexpected Lee Murray comeback arc doesn't end there, either. Apparently, Murray even has his crosshairs set on a prospective opponent: Alex Reid, another former fighter and past star of Britain's Celebrity Big Brother. The 40-year-old reality star is poised for a comeback of his own, having been scheduled to take on a yet-unnamed opponent when Bellator MMA touches down in London this July.

Strange as it may sound, Murray's behind-bars callout is not entirely unfounded. He and Reid actually have some history, having fought in a shadowy contest back in 1999. On that night, Murray was handed a disqualification loss, and apparently assaulted Reid after the fight. According to Daily Star's source, this unfortunate outcome has left Murray chomping at the bit for a do-over.

"When he heard about Reid still fighting it just gave him even more focus," the source told Daily Star. "He is training like a lunatic."

So, there you have it. While we have little real reason to believe Murray's 25-year sentence is anywhere near over, the man himself seems to be optimistic. And while Reid's focus is surely glued to his looming Bellator return, it is certainly possible that, somewhere down the road, he may be the man to shepherd Lee Murray out of his prison cell and back into the MMA cage.