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Kevin Lee has officially signed a deal to compete for Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle Fighting Championship promotion.
Kevin Lee was released from his UFC contract just a few weeks ago. Since then, many have been wondering what would come next for the ex-interim title challenger. He's been billed as a future world champion by many fans and pundits alike in the past. However, after his release, he was facing an uncertain next step - although a parade of promotions reportedly showed interest in him.
There's now clarity in the air after it was confirmed by Ariel Helwani that Kevin Lee has signed a deal to fight for Khabib Nurmagomedov's EFC:
"Kevin Lee has signed a multi-fight deal with Eagle FC, sources say. Debut date and opponent still TBD.
EFC is the promotion founded by Khabib Nurmagomedov that is planning to hold as many 10 events in America in 2022."
EFC will make their official debut in the United States next month. While a handful of notable stars are set for that card, including UFC legend Rashad Evans, it does seem to be quite short notice for Kevin Lee to be in the mix.
Why was Kevin Lee released by the UFC?
The big headline for Kevin Lee fans to come to terms with is 'five losses in seven'. Between his welterweight and lightweight days, the pinnacle of Lee's career with the UFC really came when he was in top position against Tony Ferguson. If he'd been able to capitalize on what he had against 'El Cucuy', he may well have gone on to compete for the UFC lightweight championship.
Instead, he went on a poor losing run with his latest losses being a defeat at the hands of Daniel Rodriguez in his 170-pound return and a submission setback against Charles Oliveira.
Lee also tested positive for Adderall. While he noted that the story was more complicated than it had initially seemed, he also accepted accountability as he moves into the next phase of his MMA journey.
