Kevin Lee undergoes successful knee surgery, vows to return stronger

Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Kevin Lee is optimistic about his future after going under the knife.

The one-time UFC interim lightweight title challenger announced on Saturday that a surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee was a success. He vowed to return to the octagon “10x” stronger than ever, he posted on Instagram with a video of his release from the hospital.

“The universe finally sat my ass down,” Lee wrote in the caption.

The 27-year-old fighter turned a corner after a third-round submission loss to Charles Oliveira in March at UFC Brasilia, the promotion’s last show before it was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

After that setback, an emotional Lee told reporters it might be two years before he returned to the cage. As it turned out, he would require an extensive layoff to recover from his injury.

Since a submission loss to Tony Ferguson for the interim belt at UFC 216, Lee has gone 2-3 in the octagon, though he delivered a career highlight with a head kick knockout of Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244.