According to a post Tuesday from UFC lightweight Kevin Lee, the fighter has been asked to appear as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter — opposite new UFC sensation Justin Gaethje. Lee made the comment on his official Twitter account. Earlier in the day, reports circled that Gaethje was being paired up against Eddie Alvarez for a fight later this year — and possibly a coaching gig on TUF as well.
Lee addressed that in his comments, saying Alvarez had turned the opportunity down. He also referred to Gaethje as “the holdup.”
I've been asked to do TUF and accepted in 2 minutes, @Ealvarezfight turned it down. I'm just waiting on the holdup @Justin_Gaethje.
— Kevin MTP Lee (@MoTownPhenom) July 11, 2017
Lee (16–2) was last seen earning a controversial submission win over Michael Chiesa in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City last month. That put his current win streak at five. The outspoken fighter would certainly seem to be an ideal candidate for TUF, as he has shown a willingness to promote.
Gaethje (17-0) put on a Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night show at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale this past Friday, knocking out Michael Johnson in the second round of their main event fight. The brawler defended his lightweight title five times in the WSOF, and was one of the UFC’s biggest signings this year.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani gave credence to the Gaethje/Alvarez rumor earlier Tuesday, so it’s certainly possible that Lee could be an option against the former WSOF star.
UFC is targeting Justin Gaethje vs. Eddie Alvarez later this year, sources say. There has also been serious talk of them coaching TUF 26.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 11, 2017
Is Lee vs. Gaethje something fans would want to see? Time will tell, if this pairing pans out.
