Kevin Lee says going back to UFC will hurt leverage with other promotions
A return to the UFC does not appear to be an option at the moment for Kevin Lee. 'The Motown Phenom' was only 22 years old when he made his UFC debut. He competed in the promotion for over seven years before parting ways.
Between April 2016 and June 2017, Lee went on an impressive five-fight win streak in the UFC that landed him an interim lightweight title shot against Tony Ferguson at UFC 216. The American lost the fight via submission in the third round.
Quickly after his departure from the UFC, Kevin Lee signed a four-fight contract with Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC. However, the organization's failure to host events on US soil has prompted Lee to explore opportunities outside of the promotion.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Kevin Lee explored the possibility of re-signing with the UFC. The way he perceives it, going back to the UFC will hamper his leverage with other fight promotions. Lee said:
"I'm not putting any energy towards it [re-signing with the UFC] to be honest with you. I feel like there's so many opportunities in this sport and there's a big opportunity now with PFL [Professional Fighters League]."
Lee added:
"There's a lot of opportunity outside of it [UFC]. I'm one of the most experienced guys. You can't look at anybody who's unsigned from the UFC that has my record, that has fought the people that I've fought and has my age... I would almost be hurting my leverage if I was just to go back straight to the UFC right now."
Catch Lee's comments below (15:00):
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Kevin Lee presents his case for super fight against Jake Paul in PFL
Jake Paul recently announced that he's beginning his MMA career with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Earlier last week, the social media influencer-turned-professional boxer announced that he had signed a mixed martial arts contract with the PFL.
Following a successful stint in boxing, which included victories against MMA veterans such as Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, Paul has now embarked on this new endeavor to replicate his success in the boxing ring in the MMA world.
Paul is set to compete in the newly formed "pay-per-view Super Fight Division" of the PFL, which is distinct from its regular events. Presenting his case to welcome Paul inside the octagon in the aforementioned interview, Kevin Lee stated:
"Out of nowhere they [PFL] his us with the Jake Paul thing yesterday. If they're doing 'Super Fights' now, what better way to do a super fight than with me? If he wants real respect out of people who really understand fighting, he's going to have to fight somebody like me."