Kevin Lee 2.0? He's ready to show 'bigger, stronger, more mature, faster version' in second UFC stint

Kevin Lee returns to the octagon at UFC on ESPN 47 with something to prove after he was released in late 2021.

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Lee will return to the octagon at UFC on ESPN 47 with one main thought on his mind.

“I’m excited to test my skills, come out here and perform against the best in the world,” Lee told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “That’s the only thing that I’m interested in. I love this sport. That was the ultimate decider in me coming back.”

For his first scene in the sequel to his UFC career, Lee (19-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is moving up to welterweight to fight unranked Rinat Fakhretdinov (21-2 MMA, 2-0) in the featured prelim. It’s a sort of humbling restart considering where Lee has ventured before in the UFC. But then again, the promotion didn’t just release him for no reason.

Lee, 30, was rising star on a five-fight winning streak when he fought Tony Ferguson for the interim UFC lightweight title in October 2017. After losing by third-round submission, Lee went 2-4 in his next six fights before the UFC released him after an August 2021 loss to Daniel Rodriguez.

Lee said he hasn’t really fought to his potential since a November 2019 Knockout of the Year contender against Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244. Even in his win outside the UFC, a unanimous decision against Diego Sanchez at Eagle FC 46 in March 2022, Lee said he wasn’t himself coming off knee surgery.

“The fans haven’t really seen me since I fought Charles Oliveira (in March 2020), and they’re gonna see a different version of me in this fight,” Lee said. “A bigger, stronger, more mature, faster version. I’m excited to show that I’ve been in the dark for these three years, and now I get to come to the light.”

Lee, who goes by the moniker “Motown Phenom,” always has been considered physically gifted, which is why expectations were high early in his UFC career. His biggest issue, he said, has always been the mental aspect, but he feels right after joining Kill Cliff MMA in South Florida.

“Mentally I feel more clear, more clarity. I feel more put together,” Lee said. “I think you’re gonna see a much more experienced me, and I think that’s what’s really gonna show through in this fight. He hasn’t fought anybody at this level. I might not have fought for a while, but I’ve got 18 fights in the UFC against former world champions, against current world champions, against a lot of different dudes. I think me relying on experience and being a strong, still athletic guy is going to shine through.”

He continued, “I’ve got unproved and unfinished business over here that I’ve got to get to. I don’t care too much about stepping into the spotlight. I don’t care too much about the media attention. I don’t care too much about the fans. I appreciate everbody that supports me, don’t get me wrong. But at the end of the day, it’s about something bigger than that. I’ve got a son now, and I want him to be my biggest fan. For him to do that, I’ve got to be my biggest fan, so that’s the only thing I’m worried about.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.