UFC Hall of Fame: Andrea Lee on Cowboy Hats, Flyweight Title Picture

Andrea Lee is coming off a huge win over Montana De La Rosa and is primed for a title shot in the near future. We got to catch up with her at the UFC Hall of Fame during International Fight Week.

Las Vegas, NV – Andrea Lee got a big win in her last bout, just two weeks ago at UFC Greenville, taking a decision over promising up-and-comer Montana De La Rosa. After getting matched up with Joanne Calderwood for UFC 242, Lee traveled to Vegas to enjoy International Fight Week.

It will be a quick turnaround for Lee, who will be fighting in just two months after winning in June.

“Still healing up but I feel great. I didn’t really get to celebrate. But I’m having a great time here, UFC fight week. Definitely enjoying myself. I’ve had a glass of wine, that’s about the extent of my celebration.”

It was a tough lead up to the fight for Lee, whose estranged husband was charged with domestic abuse. Those personal issues did not get in the way of her performance though.

“It’s exhilarating. With everything that’s going on, and I know I’m not the only one with bad personal stuff, everybody has a personal life, and I had stuff going on. But to get a win and being able to fight through that and get on top, being able to persevere through all the tough times, it feels good. It feels great.”

The signature look of KGB is her cowboy hat, that she’s seemingly always rocking. Le discussed her collection, then let me try it on.

“I own quite a few [cowboy hats], this is the one I walk out with. My other hat, the one that I started out with as an amateur, I had to retire that one because it kind of got warped. I have like maybe six, but this is my walkout hat.”

The flyweight division is definitely in its development stage, which could lead to rushed title shots. Lee, however, would like to avoid that happening.

“A couple more fights and I’ll be ready [for a title shot]. I was going to take some time off, then I decided, ‘What the heck?’ September. Who wouldn’t want that fight? I want to go to Abu Dhabi, I want to fight on a big card like that. So I accepted the fight, then I’ll get the rest of the year to spend with my daughter.”

Fighting on UFC 242, the notable fight on that card is the lightweight title unification bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. Andrea Lee gave her pick for the main event.

“Dustin Poirier and I, we both train out of the same gym. He does go to ATT (American Top Team), but his home gym is in Lafayette, Louisiana, and that’s where I’m at now. So I’m rooting for Dustin.”

With this interview taking place at the UFC Hall of Fame, it’s appropriate to ask what Lee’s career-defining moment is in her mind.

“I would say my fight with Ashlee Evans-Smith. It would’ve been with Jessy Jess [Jessica-Rose Clark] but that one didn’t happen. But my fight with Ashlee, with everything that had been going on with my life, being able to come out on top after that fight, just being able to come out with the win with all the stuff that was going on, I think that that was the moment.”