Kevin Lee had his momentum stalled this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 15, 2018) after losing to Al Iaquinta for the second time at UFC on FOX 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (see it again here). Now, “The Motown Phenom” will look to reel off some wins in order to get back into the championship mix.
And it won’t necessarily mean fighting in the Lightweight division.
Appearing on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Lee says while he still has things to accomplish at 155 pounds, he won’t completely rule out a jump up to Welterweight. But he would prefer if UFC finally caves and creates a 165-pound division.
“Yeah, I don’t know about that. I am kind of sitting back and still thinking about it. Weight cuts obviously play a factor in my fights,” said Lee, who did say the cut this time around was great and encountered no issues thanks to the team around him.
“I would probably rather stay at 155, just because I feel like I am really starting to get the groove of that down, now. I am taking a different approach to it since the Barboza fight, that’s only six or seven months, so another couple months under my belt my next one will be even better,” he added.
“There is some unfinished business at 155 that I got to get through. 170 does interest me, but 165 would definitely interest me a lot more. But we will see, sit back for a bit and see how everything shakes out.”
As for losing twice against Al, Lee says it’s a tough pill to swallow given the fact that they aren’t too fond of one another. Still, “The Motown Phenom” will give credit where it’s due and says “Ragin’” Al has shown he is championship material.
“He’s a great test for anybody. He is one of the most underrated fighters in the game for and he can definitely be champion, definitely beat any of the top guys for sure. He is going to show up on fight night and Saturday night showed up,” he concluded.
Should Lee stay at 155 pounds, perhaps this showdown will interest him. If not, there won’t be a shortage of contenders at 170 pounds eager to welcome him in. That said, if this prediction comes to be, then Lee could very well be fighting in a new division come next year.