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Kevin Lee has lauded Sean O'Malley for picking and choosing the right fights and rising to stardom in the world's biggest MMA promotion.
O'Malley last fought Raulian Paiva at UFC 269 in Las Vegas on December 11th. He won the main card opener via TKO inside of one round. With the victory, 'Sugar' picked up his sixth post-fight bonus in seven UFC bouts.
Lee appeared on a recent edition of The Schmozone Podcast and discussed Sean O'Malley's rise in the UFC. 'The Motown Phenom' admitted he's a little jealous of 'Sugar' for being able to fight unranked opponents. However, he also tipped his hat to the fan favorite.
"I have got to tip my hat to Sean O'Malley. Like he knows how to come up top. He did it the right way. Honestly, I wish I would have took a couple of pages or two out of his book. Also, he had that ability to kind of pick and choose his fights and put on great performances like that [against Paiva]. He is doing it the right way... I am not going to lie. I'm a little jealous of him. He does not have to fight jiu-jitsu black belts and in the next fight face a world class striker and then a world champion kickboxer and then a wrestler," said Lee.
Watch Kevin Lee in conversation with MMA journalists Dave Schmulenson and Helen Yee below:
Kevin Lee is set to make his Eagle FC debut against UFC veteran Diego Sanchez in March next year
Kevin Lee was unceremoniously released by the UFC a month ago. The former UFC title challenger quickly signed to Khabib Nurmagomedov's upstart promotion Eagle Fight Club.
The Russian MMA promotion's first United States-based event will see the likes of former UFC champions Renan Barao and Rashad Evans competing. Both men are set to compete under the Eagle FC banner in separate bouts next month.
The former interim UFC lightweight championship challenger Lee looks set to make his Eagle FC debut against mixed martial arts veteran Diego Sanchez. The duo will feature in a 165-pound fight on March 11th, 2022.
