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Kevin Lee announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in July 2023. The retirement was short-lived, however, as, on Wednesday, 'The Motown Phenom' announced that he will make his return to mixed martial arts, just over six months after walking away from the sport.
The unranked lightweight took to X, stating:
"I’m coming out of retirement. I’ll fight MMA again. Idk when, where, or who yet but I’m dropping weight and getting into shape now."
Lee added a follow up tweet, claiming:
"I’m gonna get in the best shape of my life that’s my focus right now. It’s been 6 months since I retired and I miss being around the sport"
Check out Kevin Lee's on coming out of retirement tweets below:
It is unclear if Lee will rejoin the UFC upon his return to mixed martial arts. While the promotion has often retained the rights of fighters who retire while under contract, there have also been instances where they choose to sever ties upon the announcement of a fighters' retirement.
Lee has a professional mixed martial arts record of 19 wins and eight losses, however, he has won just three out of his past nine bouts after starting his career 16-2. He faced Rinat Fakhretdinov in his most recent bout, which also marked his first fight in the UFC since being released in 2021. 'Gladiator' needed just 55 seconds to submit him, however, leading 'The Motown Phenom' to call it quits.
What did Kevin Lee say about his retirement from mixed martial arts?
Kevin Lee shocked fans when he announced that he was walking away from mixed martial arts, despite being just 30 years old at the time. Just 10 days after his loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov in his return to the UFC, 'The Motown Phenom' took to Instagram to reveal that he was walking away from the sport, stating:
"To make a long story short, I’m deciding to retire from MMA and the UFC. It’s been 12 years, 12 long years of me being the best fighter I can be, and a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication for me to try to be the best fighter in the world. When I look back on it, I had a he** of a career. I fought a lot of tough guys, some of the toughest guys in the world. I always put up a great fight. I never backed down and I always challenged myself."
Check out Kevin Lee's retirement announcement below:
Lee added that the last three years have been rough, particularly on his body. He noted that injuries were one of the leading factors in his decision to retire from mixed martial arts, as he once again needed surgery.
