Kevin Lee won’t guarantee Conor McGregor a UFC title fight until ‘Notorious’ proves he’s earned it

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Kevin Lee is fighting Tony Ferguson in the UFC 216 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Saturday night (Oct. 7, 2017) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the interim lightweight title.

More on that upcoming fight here.

The winner is expected to face Conor McGregor later this year (or early 2018) to unify the 155-pound titles, but if Lee wins, there is no guarantee “The Motown Phenom” is going to sign on the dotted line.

Simply because McGregor has to prove he’s earned it, according to comments Lee made at the UFC 216 media day gathering on Monday (via MMA Fighting):

“He’s got to prove to me he’s ready to fight. As far as I’m concerned, the man has lost three of his last four fights. I don’t even think beat Nate Diaz the second time. I like a big challenge, so he’s gotta show me a little bit. He’s a small dude, too, he’s 145. He was getting out-wrestled by a dude who’s 40 years old and a boxer. He was getting him in the clinches and out-wrestling him. I mean, he was, he’s gotta show a little bit more than that to me. So after this one, maybe I might give him a shot at the title. Maybe, I don’t know. We’ll see how he kind of reacts. Maybe he should fight Nate again and prove that he can fight me.”

A third Diaz fight is certainly on the table.

The idea that Lee would turn down a payday against McGregor, who is the promotion’s top draw and would likely bring “The Motown Phenom” several million dollars, seems kind of silly and should probably be filed under “posturing.”

Not that any of this matter if he loses to the “weird” Ferguson this weekend in “Sin City.”

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Kevin Lee is fighting Tony Ferguson in the UFC 216 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Saturday night (Oct. 7, 2017) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the interim lightweight title.

More on that upcoming fight here.

The winner is expected to face Conor McGregor later this year (or early 2018) to unify the 155-pound titles, but if Lee wins, there is no guarantee “The Motown Phenom” is going to sign on the dotted line.

Simply because McGregor has to prove he’s earned it, according to comments Lee made at the UFC 216 media day gathering on Monday (via MMA Fighting):

“He’s got to prove to me he’s ready to fight. As far as I’m concerned, the man has lost three of his last four fights. I don’t even think beat Nate Diaz the second time. I like a big challenge, so he’s gotta show me a little bit. He’s a small dude, too, he’s 145. He was getting out-wrestled by a dude who’s 40 years old and a boxer. He was getting him in the clinches and out-wrestling him. I mean, he was, he’s gotta show a little bit more than that to me. So after this one, maybe I might give him a shot at the title. Maybe, I don’t know. We’ll see how he kind of reacts. Maybe he should fight Nate again and prove that he can fight me.”

A third Diaz fight is certainly on the table.

The idea that Lee would turn down a payday against McGregor, who is the promotion’s top draw and would likely bring “The Motown Phenom” several million dollars, seems kind of silly and should probably be filed under “posturing.”

Not that any of this matter if he loses to the “weird” Ferguson this weekend in “Sin City.”