The UFC is formally out of the Kevin Lee enterprise.
As soon as upon a time, the ‘Motown Phenom’ was probably the most intriguing prospects within the UFC’s loaded light-weight division. Nonetheless, an interim title loss towards Tony Ferguson at UFC 216 put him on track for a lackluster 2-5 run that finally led to his outright launch in November 2021.
After bagging a win over Diego Sanchez below the Eagle FC banner, Lee was given one other shot by Dana White and Co, making his return to the promotion in July 2023 for a scrap with Rinat Fakhretdinov. 55 seconds into the scrap, Fakhretdinov caught Lee with a guillotine choke.
Lee retired from MMA shortly after, however throughout a latest look on The Ariel Helwani Present, revealed that he had been desperately making an attempt to re-sign with the UFC, even providing to compete on Dana White’s Contender Collection for a paltry 5k payout.
Sadly, the UFC wasn’t .
“I actually wish to compete. For me, cash isn’t essentially the most important challenge; I mentioned I’d take that combat for $5k on Contender Collection towards the perfect Contender they obtained,” Lee informed Helwani. “They weren’t inquisitive about that. Why? I don’t know. I didn’t have a lot dialog with the UFC moreover Sean Shelby, and he mentioned he wasn’t actually inquisitive about one thing like that. Once I speak with Ali [Abdelaziz], and he tells me something in regards to the UFC, he says they’re not in any respect.
“Why that’s? I couldn’t let you know. I’ve been in a number of the largest fights in UFC historical past. I completed off their Fox deal going into the ESPN deal, and I’m a reasonably straightforward man to work with,” Lee concluded. “I really feel like I’m skilled, I do what I have to do, and I don’t rub too many individuals the mistaken approach. Why they didn’t need me to go on Contender Collection to show I’m nonetheless probably the greatest 155ers on the market, I don’t know, however I’ll be sure this subsequent time, there isn’t any doubt.”
Kevin Lee finds new MMA life within the GFL Following the UFC’s newest rejection
Fortunately for Lee, there are different choices on the market. In December, it was introduced that the Michigan native had signed with the World Combat League, a promotion that has been gobbling up expertise in preparation for its inaugural occasion rumored to go down in April.
No bulletins have been made concerning Lee, or anybody else’s first look with the promotion, but when Lee will get his want, he’ll get to precise some revenge on the fighter that crushed his momentum eight years in the past.
