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Following the release of Kevin Lee, many fans have referenced previous footage of UFC president Dana White hinting that Lee could be let go by the promotion.
Earlier this week, news broke that Kevin Lee had been officially released by the promotion. The former interim lightweight title challenger had been walking the tightrope for quite some time and it appears the UFC was finally ready to let him go, despite the fact that Lee had multiple fights remaining on his contract.
Back in August, following his most recent fight under the UFC umbrella, Kevin Lee was given a pretty clear hint as to what may happen to him by Dana White during a post-fight press conference.
“That’s a good question. That’s a thing that we will get together on Tuesday and talk about and figure out what’s next for him [Kevin Lee], here or not here.”
Catch Dana White's comments in the video below:
It took three months and one positive Adderall test to do it, but Kevin Lee was finally given his marching orders.
What happened to Kevin Lee?
There’s been a long-running joke in the mixed martial arts community about the fact that Kevin Lee has the potential to be a future UFC champion. While he came close to winning the gold against Tony Ferguson in their interim 155-pound title clash, he failed to bounce back in the way many were expecting from that point on.
He did beat Edson Barboza but in doing so, he also missed weight. From there he lost to Al Iaquinta and Rafael dos Anjos before rebounding with a vicious knockout win over Gregor Gillespie, in a moment that many viewed as a real turning point.
Alas, he just couldn’t sustain that momentum and was subsequently submitted in his next outing against Charles Oliveira, the man who now holds the UFC lightweight championship.
A defeat to Daniel Rodriguez was the final straw and at this stage, Kevin Lee will be heading out onto the open market to see what’s available. Bellator are currently the frontrunners, but it’s truly anyone’s guess as to what is going to go down for Lee.
