It’s not 100% official yet, but it looks like Kevin Lee is seriously considering retiring from fighting after his recent loss in the sport.
It’s been a rough road for “The Motown Phenom” these past few years. Going 9-2 at the start of his UFC career, Lee went 3-6 during his last nine, losing his final fight 55 seconds to rising powerhouse Rinat Fakhretdinov at the start of July. Even worse: the fight marked his huge comeback in the UFC after two years away from the promotion.
A lot of people, Lee included, had high hopes that the match would be the start of a big comeback. Instead, he passed out in the first round (watch the chilling ending here). Lee has now semi-announced his retirement on Meta’s new social media platform Threads.
“I’m retiring from the UFC, but I can’t find the right words to use in the video,” Lee wrote. “There is more to life than fighting.”
I was really phenomenal when it first started. His athleticism and speed helped him carve a run through the lightweight division, but he struggled to reach the weight limit of 156 pounds. After moving up to welterweight, he lost a tough decision to Daniel Rodriguez and then tested positive for Adderall, earning himself a six-month suspension. The UFC cut it off the roster shortly after.
Lee would return to the Eagle club, where he beat Diego Sanchez in a fight that was much more difficult for him than many expected. It still earned him a ticket back to the big show, but now it seems clear that he no longer has the ability to hang out with the Sharks at 170.
There are many things you can point out in regards to what happened in his career. Lee suffered multiple knee injuries which took a heavy toll. He’s always stuck with a tough spot size wise: too big for a lightweight, but too small for a welterweight. He also suffered the loss of his coach and mentor, Robert Follis, to suicide. Any one of these issues can derail a fighter. For someone to deal with the three? This is beyond difficult.
If Lee continues with his retirement plans, he’ll leave the sport with a 19-8 (11-8 UFC) record.