Kevin Lee’s return to the UFC did not go as planned — and the lightweight contender has now decided to step away from MMA for good.
Lee (19-8) first entered the UFC in 2014, and eventually worked his way to an interim title fight against Tony Ferguson three years later. Though Lee would come up short in that fight, “The Motown Phenom” remained a top name at 155lbs for years, until his release in 2021 off the back of a two-fight skid.
Last year, Lee picked up a win over Diego Sanchez under the Eagle FC banner, earning himself another chance in the UFC. But just two weeks ago, he was quickly dispatched by Rinat Fakhretdinov — a fighter not well known by the wider public, but one expected to be a dangerous match-up for Lee by those closely following the sport.
Lee was choked out in just 55 seconds at UFC Vegas 76, and it appears that will be the last time we see him in the cage. Still just 30, Lee had hinted at retirement in the days since the loss, and on Tuesday he made it official.
“To make a long story short, I’ve decided to retire from MMA and the UFC,” stated Lee, who thanked UFC President Dana White, matchmaker Sean Shelby, and the promotion itself in the post. “It’s been 12 years, 12 long years of me being the best fighter that I can be and a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication for me to try to be the best fighter in the world. When I look back on it, I had a hell of a career. I fought a lot of tough guys, and some of the toughest guys in the world. I’ve always put up a great fight. I never backed down, and always challenged myself to do things that I didn’t think I was capable of doing.”
The stress on his body from years of fighting, and the prospect of yet another surgery, appear to have factored into Lee’s decision.
“The last three years have been rough, especially on my body. It’s been a lot of injuries and honestly, that’s one of the main factors of me making this decision,” said Lee. “I’m in need of another surgery after that last fight.”
“I’m proud that I went out on my shield. I’m proud that I stood up in there and went out on my own terms. But at this point I’ve got to think about more than just myself, and I think that my skills and the time and the energy I’ve put into this sport, I can put into something else.”
