Fighter once touted as Khabib Nurmagomedov's kryptonite aims to dominate 'The Eagle's' teammate in PFL debut

Former UFC star Kevin Lee was once considered to pose a significant challenge to former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, as many fans and MMA experts believed his style would match up well against Nurmagomedov.

Lee was one of the hottest prospects in the promotion a few years back. He became a fan favorite after his impressive performance against Tony Ferguson in 2017. However, his career spiraled downward soon after, and he left the UFC after enduring five losses in his last six bouts.

'The Motown Phenom' is set to make his PFL debut on June 20 against Nurmagomedov's teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov. Lee appeared in an interview with MMA Junkie where he discussed his upcoming fight, stating that he has been calling out the Dagestani team for a long time.

"I've called out that team for a long time, mostly because they are good. They hold all the lightweight titles right now. They held the Bellator title before Bellator went away this year. But they held the PFL title and they hold the UFC title in Islam [Makhachev]. They are very good."

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He added:

"I called out Islam for a long time too. My fight against Charles Oliveira in Brazil was actually supposed to be [against] Islam in Russia. I think that they avoided the fight for a reason, but now since this guy got hurt and I'm stepping in, he's going to try and make a name off me. They can't avoid it anymore and I hope that their whole team is there to watch."

Check out Kevin Lee's comments about upcoming fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov's teammate below (6:50):

Joaquin Buckley believes Khabib Nurmagomedov would have struggled at 170 pounds

Joaquin Buckley recently appeared on all-time MMA Great Demetrious Johnson's YouTube channel, where he stated that Khabib Nurmagomedov was smart to snub a welterweight move during his career. Buckley believes that Nurmagomedov's teammate and longtime friend, former UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev, is on the brink of surpassing Nurmagomedov's legacy amid his move.

'New Mansa' believes that 'The Eagle' would have struggled in the welterweight division and stated that the latter's arms were too short.

Check out Joaquin Buckley's comments below (29:57):

About the author

Shehryar Burzin Edibam covers MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He began training in MMA in 2021 after watching Conor McGregor’s epic duel with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. That fight made Shehryar delve deeper into the sport and explore the fascinating stories of its athletes.

Shehryar's passion for all things MMA enables him to share insightful details and thrilling narratives of the sport with a wider audience.

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Edited by Shehryar Edibam