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Kevin Lee has revealed that "pretty much everything" about his deal with Eagle Fighting Championship (Eagle FC) is better than the contract he had with the UFC.
Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that Kevin Lee had been released by the UFC. It was a move that stunned many fans and pundits within mixed martial arts, especially given the fact that he'd been pinpointed as a future champion for so many years.
Alas, his departure was swiftly confirmed by Lee himself, who noted that he had a parade of offers on the table, with the majority speculating he'd end up with Bellator or PFL.
However, Kevin Lee opted to go down a different path by signing with Eagle FC – the promotion run by former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
While talking about the the nitty-gritty of his deal in an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Lee had the following to say:
“Pretty much everything about it is better than my UFC deal. Pretty much everything. I mean, the only difference is that there’s no PI [Performance Institute]. What the f*** does that mean to me, you know? Even their facility that they’re running the FTX Arena out of is beautiful. It’s got everything in it that you would need. It’s got studios, they’re thinking outside the box, they’ve got a lot more freedom to do things. There was nothing about the UFC that was better, to be honest with you. Maybe the eyeballs for fighting on ESPN, that’s big, but a lot of guys get lost in the shuffle these days."
Watch Kevin Lee on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani below:
Why did Kevin Lee get released from the UFC?
The unfortunate reality for Kevin Lee is that he was released as a result of poor form inside the octagon. His pro MMA record currently stands at 18-7, and across his last seven fights, he's 2-5. The wins over Edson Barboza and Gregor Gillespie were impressive, but in his last two outings, he was humbled at two separate weight classes.
The loss to Charles Oliveira at lightweight doesn't look quite as bad retrospectively. However, Kevin Lee himself will tell you that the defeat to Daniel Rodriguez at welterweight served as proof that the division may not be the best for him.
On top of that, Lee also tested positive for Adderall in an issue he has since noted has been rectified.
