Kevin Lee is aware of he has to take the lengthy street again to prominence, however he nonetheless has lofty plans for his profession.
The one-time UFC interim title challenger makes his MMA return this Saturday at Lights Out Championship 17, with large targets nonetheless in thoughts; one in all which, is incomes a combat with present UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
“I wish to combat for a world title,” Lee instructed MMA Combating. “I simply wish to combat one of the best guys. Am I hung up on the organizations? Not likely. I wish to combat one of the best guys and the fellows that actually will give me a problem, who folks really feel are unbeatable.
“I believe it’s a disgrace I by no means received to combat Khabib Nurmagomedov. It’s a disgrace if I don’t ever get to combat Islam in his profession. I believe I pose threats for these guys that not numerous different lightweights do, and I believe lots of people would, would agree with that. So it’d be sort of a disgrace in the event that they go their complete careers and never combat a wrestler like me.”
“Motown Phenom” faces Thiago Oliveira in his house state of Michigan on Saturday. It’s Lee’s first bout since a 55-second submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC Vegas 96 in July 2023, which signaled the tip to Lee’s second stint with the UFC.
The 32-year-old went 11-8 in 19 octagon appearances, which included a spot in an interim light-weight title combat in opposition to Tony Ferguson at UFC 217 in October 2017, when he misplaced through third-round submission. Since then, Lee is 3-5 over his previous eight bouts, which incorporates a fully brutal knockout win over Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244 in November 2019, and a victory over Diego Sanchez for Eagle FC in his bridge-fight between UFC stints.
With a lot expertise, and extra classes discovered than he can think about, Lee is worked up and humbled to hit the reset button and stay as much as the limitless potential he entered the game with.
“It appears like initially of my profession once more — which in itself has a little bit bit of pleasure to it,” Lee mentioned. “It nearly appears like a second likelihood, it appears like an opportunity to do it another time. It’s fascinating. I don’t see many individuals happening this path both, I don’t suppose numerous guys, once they get to a sure degree, that they’re prepared to place their balls on the road. I’ve seen it occur over and time and again with completely different guys, and I simply don’t mannequin myself after anyone.
“I’m going to do what I really feel is in my coronary heart to do, and it’s in my coronary heart to combat and that is the combat that’s in entrance of me. That is the chance that God’s introduced me and I’m going to take advantage of out of it.”
