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“He’s supposedly the fighter’s fighter type of guy. The Donald Cerrone type of guy who will fight anybody but they’re all playing politics.”
UFC lightweight standout Justin Gaethje is considered by many to be the ultimate ‘fighter’s fighter’ but, according top-ten lightweight Kevin Lee, ‘The Highlight’ picks and chooses his opponents just like the rest of the UFC roster.
Speaking to MMA Fighting ahead of his headlining bout with Charlies Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 170, ‘The Motown Phenom’ alleged that Gaethje turned down a fight with him and says the UFC fan favorite plays ‘politics’ behind closed doors.
“I tried to make it,” Lee said of a potential fight with Gaethje. “Just because he’s got a number next to his name and he would have been a good fight, too. He turned it down. So I moved on to bigger and better.”
“He’s supposedly the fighter’s fighter type of guy. The Donald Cerrone type of guy who will fight anybody but they’re all playing politics,” he added. “I march to my own drum. I’ve always been on my own energy so if I see a bunch of people doing the same thing, I kind of go the other way. I’m willing to do the things that other people aren’t willing to do. That’s what I feel has always kind of separated me from the pack.”
Lee added that he is more than willing to run through the entire division if he has to, as his ultimate goal is to capture the UFC lightweight title.
“And at the end of the day, I’m going to be the champ. That’s my belt. I’ve got to go through all these guys anyways so let’s go ahead and steal their momentum.”
UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira takes place tonight, March 14 at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Brazil.