Kevin Lee can’t buy a win these days.
The former interim UFC lightweight title challenger was recently spotted in a viral video getting dropped by his sparring partner during a recent training session at Kill Cliff FC. In the clip, which you can see below, the ‘Motown Phenom’ goes for a flying knee that comes up short. His sparring partner then counters with a nasty overhand right that connected clean, sending Lee crashing to the mat face first.
Recently retired Hall of Famer ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler rushes in and assists Lee in getting his feet under him before telling the Detroit native to “walk it off.”
KEVIN WATCH OUT pic.twitter.com/jeBJxFsknL
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 5, 2025
Needless to say, Lee didn’t appreciate the footage being leaked online.
Idk who posted that video or why but I’m heading right now to find out. I can only blame myself for showing mercy and pulling my knee back but it’s training so I thought let me not blast him. I see I shouldn’t have been playing around with a guy like that. Since mfs wanna start…
— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) February 5, 2025
“Idk who posted that video or why but I’m heading right now to find out,” Lee wrote on X. “I can only blame myself for showing mercy and pulling my knee back but it’s training so I thought let me not blast him. I see I shouldn’t have been playing around with a guy like that. Since mfs wanna start showing sparring imma start showing sparrings from now on.”
Pro Fighter Mirali Huseynov Identifies Himself as the Man Who Dropped Kevin Lee While Sparring
Mirali Huseynov, a professional fighter with a 9-3 record, identified himself as Lee’s sparring partner in a since-deleted post on Instagram. Huseynov denied being the one who leaked the sparring footage but did his best to downplay the incident, noting that getting hit hard during sparring sessions is just another way of preparing fighters for competition.
Huseynov also referred to Lee as his favorite sparring partner at Kill Cliff FC.
MMA Fighter who KO’d Kevin Lee in viral video (Mirali Huseynov) is upset that the video got leaked
“It was not my point to hit him hard. Flying knee coming, what should I do?”
“He [Kevin Lee] is my favorite partner, we always work hard” pic.twitter.com/wTGIQIxH6p
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) February 5, 2025
Once upon a time, Lee had all the makings of a future superstar in a sport, but it all came crashing down in 2017 following a loss against Tony Ferguson at UFC 216. He went on to lose four of his next six fights before being released by the promotion in 2021.
He returned to the win column under the Eagle FC banner the following year, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Diego Sanchez. That was enough to earn him another opportunity to fight inside the Octagon. Squaring off with Rinat Fakhretdinov at a Fight Night card in July 2023, Lee suffered a submission loss just 55 seconds into the contest.
And just like that, Lee’s second UFC run came to an end.
Today, Lee is part of the Global Fight League roster and was drafted to Team New York during the promotion’s first-ever live draft. He’s expected to make his promotional debut later this year.
