Why did Kevin Lee convert to Islam? UFC fighter's struggle with drugs and downward spirals
Kevin Lee’s second tenure with the UFC did not go as expected. The former interim lightweight title challenger suffered a quick submission loss to rising contender Rinat Fakhretdinov at the UFC Vegas 76 event. While this was not quite the comeback that he would have expected, Lee has bounced back from worse situations and found solace in spirituality.
Kevin Lee’s social media posts raised fans' curiosity about whether he had converted to Islam. The 30-year-old fighter opened up about this transition in January 2023 and revealed through social media posts that he had embraced Islam in October 2021.
Just to clarify because I see the questions, I officially accepted Islam in my life in October 2021 I just have not come out publicly until recently. I want to start a podcast soon I can speak more in depth there
“Since being public about my conversion as a Muslim I’ve had a lot of people reach out to give support,” Lee wrote in another tweet.
Kevin embraced Islam during the toughest phase of his life. Although he had been struggling for a while, Lee’s troubles increased following his loss to Charles Oliveira in March 2020. He suffered a serious knee injury in the fight. As explained by Lee, he gave in to drug addiction due to prescription drugs for pain medication.
As he was caught up in the downward spiral of life, Islam helped Kevin Lee elevate himself and get his life back on track. Lee spoke about this during an interview with TheDeenShowTV channel on YouTube. He explained:
"I went through that spiral for a year-and-a-half. I spoke with God, this was before I even became a Muslim. Just as clear as me and you are talking, I felt like God told me, 'Hey, you've been a Muslim this whole time. You are Muslim.' I don't feel like I reverted, I feel like I woke up to the realization that that's what I've been the whole time."
Watch Kevin Lee open up about converting to Islam in the video below from 4:25
Kevin Lee will look forward to a successful second tenure with the UFC
Kevin Lee was UFC’s highly touted prospect, as he was as skilled on the mic as he was in the octagon. In spite of initial success against respectable opponents like Michael Chiesa and Edson Barboza, Lee struggled to maintain consistent success in the lightweight as well as welterweight divisions. This resulted in the UFC releasing him from the contract.
He explored free agency during this time and also fought UFC veteran Diego Sanchez in Eagle FC. Kevin Lee is now back on the UFC’s roster as a spiritual man with a singular focus. His UFC debut resulted in a quick 55-second loss to Dagestani prospect Rinat Fakhretdinov. However, collecting ‘W’s or titles is not his goal. Instead, Lee wants to test his skills against elite welterweight fighters like champion Leon Edwards.
“That’s what I’m kind of excited to do. I want to test myself against the best in the world. Guys like Leon Edwards present particular challenges that you have to meet. So I would like to get up there and meet that…” Lee said during the UFC Vegas 76 media day interactions.
Check out Kevin Lee's plans for his second UFC stint in the video below