Kevin Jesse Lee Jr. (born September 4, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

and

Super Lightweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

divisions of Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC). He formerly competed for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC).

Background

Lee was born in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, on September 4, 1992, and raised in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

. Lee has a sister and two younger brothers, one of whom is Keith, also a professional mixed martial artist signed to

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

who has been training with Kevin previously at Xtreme Couture and currently at Tristar. He competed in basketball growing up and began

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

during his junior year at Southfield High School. Lee continued his wrestling career at

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universit ...

, where he was a national tournament qualifier and went 37–0 as a sophomore. However, with two years left of wrestling eligibility at the school, Lee dropped out to focus on a career in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2014

Lee made his promotional debut against

Al Iaquinta Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...

on February 1, 2014, at UFC 169. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the loss, Lee moved from his native Michigan to Las Vegas, searching for improvements to his game. At The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale on July 6, 2014, Lee got his first win for the promotion when he defeated

Jesse Ronson Jesse Ronson (born December 24, 1985) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Lightweight division. A professional fighter since 2009, he has previously competed in promotions such as UFC, ...

by split decision. Lee faced Jon Tuck at

UFC 178 ''UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 27, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was supposed to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch bet ...

on September 27, 2014. Lee won the fight via unanimous decision.

2015

Lee faced

Michel Prazeres Michel Richard Cunha dos Prazeres (born July 25, 1981) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the Welterweight division. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts career Early MMA caree ...

on February 14, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 60. Lee won the fight by unanimous decision. Lee next faced James Moontasri on July 15, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 71 ''UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 71'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 15, 2015, at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. Background The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout b ...

. Lee won the fight via first round submission. Lee faced Leonardo Santos on December 12, 2015, at UFC 194. Lee lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

2016

Lee next faced Efrain Escudero on April 23, 2016, at

UFC 197 ''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...

. Lee won the fight via unanimous decision. Lee next faced Jake Matthews on July 8, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. Lee won the fight via TKO in the first round. Lee faced

Magomed Mustafaev Magomed Mustafaev (born August 2, 1988 in Dagestan) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for M-1 Global. Background Magomed Mustafaev ...

UFC Fight Night 99 ''UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 99'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on 19 November 2016 at The SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland Backgr ...

on November 19, 2016. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The win earned Lee his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.

2017

Lee faced Francisco Trinaldo on March 11, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 106 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 106'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 11, 2017, at the Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, ...

. After a back-and-forth first round, Lee won the fight via submission in the second round. Lee faced Michael Chiesa on June 25, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 112 ''UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 112'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 25, 2017, at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Background The ...

. He won the fight via submission at the end of the first round. The win also earned Lee his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Chiesa appealed to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission to overturn the defeat, claiming referee

Mario Yamasaki Mario Yamasaki (born in São Paulo, Brazil on April 22, 1964) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts referee licensed in many states, most recognizable from his duties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), as well as founder and chief instru ...

erred both in stopping the fight despite no tapout nor loss of consciousness and in allowing Lee to use illegal downward elbows, which cut his head. Lee fought Tony Ferguson on October 7, 2017, at UFC 216 for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. Despite starting off strong, Lee lost the fight by submission in the third round.

2018

Lee fought

Edson Barboza Edson Barboza Jr. (born January 21, 1986) is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has formerly competed at ligh ...

on April 21, 2018, at

UFC Fight Night 128 ''UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 128'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 21, 2018, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Background ...

. At the weigh-ins, Lee weighed in at 157 pounds, one pound over the lightweight non-title fight upper limit of 156 pounds. As a result, the bout proceeded at catchweight and Lee was fined 20% of his purse which went to Barboza. Lee was rocked badly by a spinning heel kick, and was nearly finished by Barboza in the third round, but rallied back and defeated Barboza via TKO after the ringside doctor stopped the bout due to a cut suffered by Barboza in round five. Lee faced

in a rematch on December 15, 2018, at

UFC on Fox 31 ''UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 31'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 15, 2018 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Backgr ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2019

Lee moved up to welterweight to face

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...

in the main event of

UFC on ESPN+ 10 ''UFC on ESPN: Eye vs. Calvillo'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 10'' and ''UFC Vegas 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 13, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevad ...

on May 18, 2019. He lost the fight via an arm triangle submission in the fourth round. In September 2019, Lee announced he would be returning to the lightweight division. Lee faced undefeated prospect Gregor Gillespie on November 2, 2019, at UFC 244. Lee won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him the ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award.

2020

Lee faced

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silvahttp://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2014_Results/12-12-14MMA.pdf (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He currently comp ...

on March 14, 2020, as the main event at

UFC Fight Night 170 ''UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 170'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 28'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 14, 2020 at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in B ...

. At the weigh-ins, Lee weighed in at 158.5 lbs, 2.5 lbs over the lightweight non-title fight limit of 156 pounds. Lee was fined 20% of his purse and his bout with Oliveira was expected to proceed as scheduled at a catchweight. Lee lost the fight via submission with a guillotine choke in the third round.

2021

Lee was scheduled to face Sean Brady on July 10, 2021, at

UFC 264 ''UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 10, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. However, Lee withdrew due to injury and the bout was rescheduled to

UFC on ESPN 30 ''UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 30'' and ''UFC Vegas 35'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 28, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterpri ...

on August 28, 2021. Subsequently, the bout was yet again cancelled after Brady withdrew due to a foot infection. Brady was replaced by Daniel Rodriguez on August 28, 2021, at

. On his return to welterweight, Lee lost the fight via unanimous decision. Subsequently, Lee tested positive for Adderall and was suspended for six months, making him eligible to return into competition on February 28, 2022. In an interview, Lee stated that he thought the drug would be out of his system soon enough, which is why he didn't apply for therapeutic-use exemption regarding his medication for recently diagnosed

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inapp ...

. On November 30, 2021, it was announced that Lee was released from the UFC.

Eagle Fighting Championship

On December 15, 2021, it was announced that Lee signed a 4-fight contract with Eagle FC. Lee made his debut against

Diego Sanchez Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

in a 165 lbs bout on March 11, 2022, at Eagle FC 46. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Politics

Lee endorsed

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

in the

2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: **C ...

, speaking at a rally for Sanders in Las Vegas in December 2019.

Championships and accomplishments

*Total Warrior Combat **TWC Lightweight Championship (One time) *

(Three times)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 19–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Eagle FC 46 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 , Daniel Rodriguez , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Lee vs. Oliveira , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:28 ,

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5 , Gregor Gillespie , KO (head kick) , UFC 244 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–5 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:47 ,

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–3 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 2:18 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–3 , Tony Ferguson , Submission (triangle choke) , UFC 216 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:02 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 , Michael Chiesa , Technical submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 , Francisco Trinaldo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:12 ,

Fortaleza Fortaleza (, locally , Portuguese for ''Fortress'') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It belongs to the Metropolitan mesoregion of Fortaleza and microregion of Fortaleza. It is Brazil's 5th largest city and the t ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 ,

, Technical submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:31 ,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Jake Matthews , TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Efrain Escudero , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 , Leonardo Santos , TKO (punches) , UFC 194 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:26 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , James Moontasri , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:56 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Broomfield, Colorado, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Jon Tuck , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (split) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 169 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Travis Gervais , Submission (armbar) , Canadian Fighting Championship 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Joseph Lile , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Midwest Fight Series 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:29 ,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 ,

Kyle Prepolec Kyle Prepolec (born August 30, 1989) is a Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who most recently competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Lightweight division. He is the current SMMA Lightweight Champion and had previously won ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Michiana Fight League , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:17 ,

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

J. P. Reese James Patrick Reese (born December 21, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist. He bases his training at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Amateur wrestling career J.P. Reese began wrestling at Rochester Adams High School in Roches ...

, Decision (unanimous) , IFL 51: No Guts, No Glory , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mansour Barnaoui , Decision (unanimous) , Instinct MMA: Instinct Fighting 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Levis Labrie , Decision (unanimous) , Instinct MMA: Instinct Fighting 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sherbrooke, Quebec Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

, Canada ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Kevin 1992 births Living people African-American mixed martial artists American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists from Michigan American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers People from Kent County, Michigan Sportspeople from Grand Rapids, Michigan Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century African-American sportspeople