Kevin Lee's next fight should be against Islam Makhachev (Opinion)
The journey of Kevin Lee in UFC has been a roller coaster ride. Kevin Lee has some impressive wins in his resume. However, he has seen some tough losses as well.
Kevin Lee fought Tony Ferguson for the Interim Lightweight Championship on UFC 216. He came very close to winning the interim title despite having staph infection leading up to the fight. After the loss against Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee made a huge comeback by beating Edson Barboza in a violent fight.
However, since the Barboza fight, Kevin Lee has lost to Charles Oliveira, Al Iaquinta, and Rafael Dos Anjos. After joining hands with Firas Zahabi, it was expected that the fans will get to see a much better Kevin Lee. We did witness glimpses of that when he viciously knocked out Gregor Gillespie.
But, he lost all the momentum from UFC 244 by losing to Charles Oliveira. Recently, he had knee surgery and is still under rehab. However, who is next for Kevin Lee in the star-studded lightweight division when he makes his comeback?
Kevin Lee vs Islam Makhachev is the fight to make
Even though Kevin Lee is coming from a loss, he is still a big name in the division because fans are aware of what he is capable of. But he needs to get back on the winning track.
Though there are some good matchups in the division for Kevin Lee, Islam Makhachev makes the most sense. Lee and Makhachev have history between each other. Both of them have called each other out on numerous occasions. However, this fight has still not been made official.
This might be the perfect time to make this fight a reality. Kevin Lee will take some time to be ready for his octagon return because of the surgery. And Makhachev's octagon appearance might get delayed due to the demise of Khabib's father.
Kevin Lee is currently at No. 9 in the Lightweight division and Makhachev is at 11. Though Makhachev is on a six-fight winning streak, he is yet to face a top UFC Lightweight fighter. And that's where Kevin Lee comes into the picture.
Besides Islam Makhachev, Paul Felder is a compelling fight for Kevin Lee. Paul Felder is also coming from a loss and he would be an exciting matchup for Lee.
Kevin Lee is an extremely talented fighter. He has all the skills to give the top Lightweights a tough time in the octagon.
He has been training with Firas Zahabi for a meaningful period. It's safe to say that fans have not seen the best of Kevin Lee yet.