Kevin Lee isn`t particularly surprised that his upcoming fight in the PFL this Friday is generating more doubt than excitement.
The 32-year-old lightweight was a top contender in the UFC during his prime. He even competed for the interim lightweight championship and delivered a brutal head-kick knockout against Gregor Gillespie in 2019, a finish considered one of the most violent in the promotion`s history. However, that victory marked his last win in the UFC, followed by a series of injuries, defeats, and a move to a different weight class that stalled his career.
After another extended break to recover from knee surgery, Lee secured a win on the regional circuit last September. Now, he`s scheduled to make his PFL debut facing Gadzhi Rabadanov, an opponent on an impressive 11-fight winning streak, including three consecutive knockouts.
“Many people have dismissed me,” Lee stated to MMA Fighting. “Many have forgotten about me, and many have doubted me. It’s time to silence them.”
“I don’t entirely blame people for writing me off,” he added, “because it’s been five years since I competed in this weight class, dating back to the start of the pandemic. For many, the pandemic’s beginning feels like ages ago. Furthermore, the sport has grown so much, attracting numerous new fans who joined since the pandemic and don’t recall 2017, 2018, or 2019. It’s time for me to leave my mark and remind everyone who I am.”
Between his recent win and signing with the PFL, Lee initially sought a return to the UFC. He even offered to participate in The Ultimate Fighter reality series if that was necessary to demonstrate he was genuinely back in peak condition.
In the end, the UFC didn`t express significant interest in re-signing Lee, but he harbors no resentment towards the promotion for how things unfolded. While he desired a UFC return, Lee acknowledges his main objective is proving he remains among the world`s elite lightweights, and his PFL debut offers precisely that chance.
“No, I’m not disappointed,” Lee commented, “because this feels like the way things were meant to happen. Above all else, I wanted to compete and re-establish myself as a leading lightweight. I’m getting to fight a guy who is currently ranked highly in the division. The top talent isn’t always exclusive to the UFC. We`ve witnessed this throughout history – look at Strikeforce, WEC back then, PRIDE, all those major promotions, and now you see some PFL fighters transitioning and achieving great success.”
“For me, it’s about the fight itself,” he continued. “This opponent is a top lightweight. I haven’t competed in this weight class in over five years, and this provides an opportunity to show I belong at that level again. It doesn’t necessarily need to be with a particular promotion. I simply wanted the right fight at the right moment, and that’s how it worked out.”
While Lee holds no animosity towards the UFC, he certainly feels aggrieved by the Global Fight League (GFL). He signed with them as a free agent, based on promises of substantial paychecks and a busy fighting calendar.
After months of waiting for the promotion to finally launch, Lee was initially booked for their first event. However, the GFL abruptly cancelled its shows, leaving little prospect of the organization ever getting started.
Lee had previously suggested the possibility of legal action against the GFL and remains clearly upset about the entire failed venture.
“I’ve been desperately seeking a fight for over a year,” Lee revealed. “My knee has been fully healed for at least the past six months, and I’ve been ready to compete. The GFL situation was a complete mess. I was involved with them for six months, essentially giving up half a year of my career to sit idly by. That wasn’t something I wanted. Before I even signed, I did my utmost to ensure they understood that wouldn’t work and that I wasn’t going to simply sacrifice six months of my fighting time.
“Sometimes these outcomes occur, particularly in MMA,” he reflected. “These other promotions and organizers don’t always seem to know what they’re doing. They don’t consistently make the correct decisions, and that’s precisely what transpired.”
Lee tried to handle the situation calmly. He later had the opportunity to attend a PFL event where Rabadanov was fighting. Watching the Russian fighter quickly dismantle a UFC veteran in only 32 seconds instantly piqued Lee`s interest. That night, he informed PFL officials that he would potentially be interested in fighting Rabadanov later on.
An injury to Jay-Jay Wilson, Rabadanov`s original opponent, subsequently created the opening for Lee to sign with the PFL and secure the fight he had hoped for.
“I attended the PFL event for the first round of the lightweights in Orlando,” Lee stated, “and the only fighter who truly caught my attention was Gadzhi. He quickly knocked out Marc Diakiese, displaying significant speed, power, and accuracy. He was the only lightweight competitor there who genuinely interested me.”
“So I informed them I would be interested in joining the organization, especially for a fight like that,” he concluded. “And just like that, about three weeks later, this opponent got injured, and they called me immediately. I said yes without any hesitation. It’s what I desired. It’s what I’ve been seeking, and now it’s time to get started.”
