This weekend, Kevin Lee returns to the UFC after almost two years away. Once regarded as one of the hottest prospects in MMA, ‘The Motown Phenom’ faced many challenges that led to a sharp decline in his career and health.
Here we take a look at the rise, fall and comeback of Kevin Lee.
Kevin Lee UFC Vegas 76: The Come Up
Before signing with the UFC, Lee built up an unbeaten record of 7-0 in his professional career. He became the Total Warrior Combat lightweight champion and very soon after, he stepped into the octagon for the first time.
He lost his debut to Al Iaquinta, but would win his next four fights in a row in the space of a year. Lee seemed to be the full package – a powerful, athletic fighter with top wrestling skills and sharp striking – and after nine wins in ten fights, earned himself a shot at the interim lightweight championship against Tony Ferguson.
Lee looked good at the beginning of the fight. He was light on his feet and active with his striking as he looked to close the distance. Both fighters dropped each other in the opening round, and after this exchange, Lee turned to his wrestling to get Ferguson to the floor, control him, and land ground and pound.
Lee and Ferguson returned to the striking exchanges in the second round, but in the third, Lee took a more wrestling heavy approach. This proved to be his downfall as Ferguson caught him in a triangle choke to end the fight.
There were many positives to take away from the fight for the 25-year-old. Many believed he would continue to be a title challenger especially after beating Edson Barboza via TKO in his very next fight, but things would take a turn for the worse.
The Decline
Tragically, Lee’s coach Robert Follis took his own life two months after the Ferguson loss. Lee spoke to MMAjunkie about Follis’ suicide saying “it’s been very, very tough.”
After the Barboza win, Lee lost four of his next five fights. In between the losses, he delivered a highlight reel KO against Gregor Gillespie – a beautiful head kick – but could not maintain the momentum and was submitted by former champion Charles Oliveira after that. During his losses his defensive work began to deteriorate and his gas tank failed him. He also struggled with weight cuts.
Lee suffered a knee injury after the Oliveira loss. Due to his introduction to pain medication, he began battling drug problems. In an interview with TheDeenShowTV, he said: “Once you’re introduced to pain pills, then it kind of starts a downward spiral through different drugs and different things that seem like the answer at the time. I went through that spiral for about a year and a half.”
Lee was suspended for a banned substance (Adderall) and in November of 2021, he was released by the UFC. His last fight was a defeat to Daniel Rodriguez.
Kevin Lee Returns
In March 2022, Lee fought against veteran Diego Sanchez in Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s promotion Eagle FC. Lee won the fight via unanimous decision.
It was announced in February this year that Lee would be returning to the UFC after signing a new deal. He faces Rinat Fakhretdinov in a welterweight bout this Saturday at UFC Vegas 76.
What will the return of Kevin Lee at UFC Vegas 76 look like? We will find out in a matter of days.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
