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Kevin Lee was once one of the brightest talents in the UFC, but 'The Motown Phenom' has had a difficult last few years trying to get his career back on track.
Lee incurred a serious knee injury following his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 170 in March 2020. According to the UFC fighter, he was left battling a drug addiction due to the pain medication he was prescribed in the months post-surgery.
'The Motown Phenom' divulged many of the previously unknown details of his fight outside the octagon during a recent interview on TheDeenShowTV on YouTube.
Kevin Lee explained how devoting himself to the Islamic religion helped him deal with the dark spiral that he was on:
"I came from straight sin, so once I tore my knee and had the surgery, I was introduced to pain pills. And once you're introduced to pain pills, then it kind of starts a downward spiral through different drugs and different things that seem like the answer at the time. Like that's what you need to feel whole... I went through that spiral for about a year-and-a-half."
Lee continued:
"I spoke with God, this was before I even became a Muslim. Just as clear as me and you are talking, I felt like God told me, 'Hey, you've been a Muslim this whole time. You are Muslim.' I don't feel like I reverted, I feel like I woke up to the realization that that's what I've been the whole time."
Watch the interview below from 4:30:
Kevin Lee confirmed his devotion to Islam earlier this year on Twitter.
Kevin Lee explains his new deal with the UFC and why he re-signed with the promotion
Kevin Lee left the UFC in 2021 after losing to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 30. 'The Motown Phenom' was swiftly signed by Khabib Nurmagomedov's MMA promotion, Eagle FC, where he fought against MMA legend Diego Sanchez at Eagle FC 46.
Lee won the bout against Sanchez, but reports emerged in late 2022 that he was looking to sign a deal with another promotion.
Lee initially believed that going back to the UFC would be unwise, but he re-signed with them in 2023 and explained his decision while speaking to 'The Schmo'. He stated:
"We're doing a six-fight deal... I think the UFC is my home. After fielding all these options from different places, it's like, no. The UFC is where it's at."
Watch the interview below:
