For the first time in a long time, Kevin Lee has made it back to the win column.
Lee’s First Win In Almost A Thousand Days
After nearly a decade of fighting in the UFC, it was a change in scenery for the former interim title challenger as Lee returned to where his MMA journey began: his home state of Michigan. Lee fought in one of the headliner spots at Lights Out Championship 17 over the weekend in Wayne, Michigan, taking on Thiago Oliveira (17-12-1).
What looked to be a step down in competition for Lee ended up being just that as “The Motown Phenom” needed less than two minutes to choke his opponent following a flurry of strikes landed on the ground. Lee’s tight squeeze got him the tap, his first win on the regional scene since 2013 and first stoppage since KO’ing Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244 in 2019.
Kevin Lee isn't paid by the hour! Quick work in the @MoTownPhenom's MMA return at @LightsOutFights 17!#LightsOutChampionship #MMA pic.twitter.com/QZTLhQ65Zq
— Spectation Sports (@SpectationNet) September 29, 2024
While the submission win has gotta feel good, Lee still has business to attend to with his next fight already booked – a bareknuckle MMA fight against Saul Almeida (20-14) at Gamebred Bareknuckle 4 on Nov. 15.
UFC Told Kevin Lee To Go Somewhere Else
So, what happened to Lee fighting the cream of the crop in the UFC?
That’s what many people have been wondering as Lee re-signed to the UFC for a second stint in 2023 after defeating ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner Diego Sanchez at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC promotion. Though, it didn’t go according to plan with an injured Lee suffering a submission defeat at the hands of top prospect Rinat Fakhretdinov in 55 seconds.
Following the quick loss, Lee wasn’t booked for another fight in the premier promotion despite being one of the more notable names on the roster just a few years ago.
“[UFC] didn’t really have much conversation for me,” Lee told MMA Junkie’s Nolan King in a recent interview. “They pretty much just said, ‘No. All right. You want to come back? Come back. But go somewhere else,’ basically. I even offered to go on Dana White’s Contender Series.
“Again, I’m not really sure what the problem is. It’s not numbers. It’s not what I’m willing to do for the company. I’m somebody who fought Tony Ferguson when nobody else wanted to fight Tony… I know what I bring to the company.
From coming close to finishing Tony Ferguson in 2016 to spectacular thrillers against Edson Barboza and Gregor Gillespie, Kevin Lee hasn’t won all of his fights in the UFC, losing to to some of the best fighters in the world but…
“I know I’ve had some legendary moments inside the cage,” Lee added. “If they don’t see that, then that’s cool. I can show it. I can prove it. If I end up somewhere else at the end of my career, then that’s just what it is. I’m not going to necessarily be hung up on something. I’m not necessarily going to change who I am.”
Is a third UFC run in the cards for Kevin Lee? Who knows but regional fighters beware, “The Motown Phenom” is on your turf now that he’s not in the Octagon.
