Kevin Lee will not be permitted to compete on Dana White’s “Contender Series.”
That means “Motown Phenom” will need to earn his way back to the big stage the old fashioned way: by kicking ass and taking names on the regional circuit. Lee, 32, is certainly off to a good start, steamrolling Bellator veteran Thiago Oliveira as part of the Lights Out Championship 17 “Alsaghir vs. Kupee” fight card last weekend in Michigan.
“Back on track,” the former UFC welterweight title contender wrote on social media. “I appreciate all the support through these years.”
Lee (20-8) briefly retired from competition back in summer 2023 following a submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC Vegas 76. A couple of months later, “Motown Phenom” announced his combat sports comeback after admitting he “missed being around the sport.” His next assignment is scheduled for Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA on Nov. 11 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.