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In a surprising turn of events, UFC lightweight Kevin Lee appears to have parted ways with the multi-billion dollar promotion for the second time.
Kevin 'Motown Phenom' Lee recently took to the social media app Threads to share details about his future. Lee stated he had decided to retire from the UFC as he wanted to explore other things in life.
"I'm going to retire from the UFC but I can't fight the right words to use in the video... There's more to life than fighting," wrote Kevin Lee.
The surprising news drew varied reactions from MMA fans, who took to social media to express them.
One Twitter user raised questions about Kevin Lee's capability to compete in the UFC.
"He realised he no longer fits into all this."
Another individual believed that the 30-year-old made the right decision by retiring as he could now explore other career options in life.
"Good on him. Hope he has plenty of other options. No need to keep fighting when a championship is unrealistic. Glad he can retire and not keep having to compete for a pay cheque."
You can see a compilation of some of the reactions below:
Lee's announcement comes after his recent appearance in the UFC octagon.
After being cut from the UFC in 2021, 'Motown Phenom' returned to the top MMA promotion on July 1, 2023 and took on Rinat Fakhretdinov in a welterweight clash. The bout did not go well for Lee as he was submitted by a guillotine choke in the opening minute of the fight.
Kevin Lee retirement: How did the 'Motown Phenom' do in his first UFC stint?
Kevin Lee started his first UFC run on an incredible note as he won nine out of his first 11 bouts in the promotion.
This led to him challenging Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title at UFC 216. Lee came up short on fight night and lost the contest via third-round submission.
The 30-year-old bounced back with an impressive TKO victory over Edson Barboza in April 2018. But things went downhill from there as 'Motown Phenom' ended up on the losing side in four of his next five UFC fights, resulting him in being cut from the UFC in 2021.
