Top 5 fighting families in MMA today
In recent months, MMA has seen Nick Diaz return to the octagon at UFC 266, both Shevchenko sisters competing and Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Usman pick up a win at Bellator 269.
All of this shows it isn't hard to find family ties in MMA.
For many fighters, a family member encouraging them to head to a gym is the reason they first get involved in MMA. This step only marks the beginning of a long journey, with the fighters you see on TV overcoming huge odds to reach the sport's peak.
However, on rare occasions, two fighters from the same family are able to both rise up the ranks together. Whether it be superior genetics, a perfected training program or some other X factor, some families produce multiple elite fighters.
While there have been a number of famous fighting families over the years, here are the 5 that are dominating the sport today.
#5. The Lee family (Kevin & Keith)
While Kevin Lee has been a popular star in the UFC since he was just 22 years old, some may not know that his brother Keith is also a professional fighter.
After an undefeated amateur record, Keith Lee made a 5-3 start to his professional career before being snatched up by Bellator. Since then, Keith has posted a respectable 2-2 record with the promotion and he is still only 24 years old.
Keith Lee gets the W in his Bellator debut #Bellator239 https://t.co/zfRM57W7hb
Keith Lee has also had success outside of the ring as his TikTok account, keith_lee125, has close to a million subscribers.
Kevin Lee, now 29, continues to fight in the UFC. Despite struggling with some injuries and losses recently, he showed what he can do in his Performance of the Night knockout over Gregor Gillespie.
Kevin Lee knocked out Gregor Gillespie, one year ago today
#UFC
https://t.co/VBPicZWgEV
'The Motown Phenom' has fought for interim lightweight gold in the UFC and, while results haven't gone his way recently, he still has time on his side to rejoin the sport's elite.
While this brother duo may not be the most talked about in the MMA world today, they hold the potential to become a powerhouse family in the sport. With both brothers still so young, this family could conceivably continue competing for the next 10 years.