This Saturday, Kevin Lee travels to hostile territory to take on Charles Oliveira in his home country of Brazil. For Lee, a win would catapult him back into contender status, but a loss would set him back, putting his title aspirations on hold yet again.
Kevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee made his UFC debut in 2014 at just 21 years of age. Lee entered the UFC with a strong wrestling pedigree which he refined by training at Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas.
The fighter from Grand Rapids, Michigan took an (8-2) record into one of his biggest challenges to date against Michael Chiesa in June of 2017. The two fighters had a high-level back n’ forth on the ground for a couple minutes until Lee took Chiesa’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke for the first round finish.
President Dana White granted Lee a chance at the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson just four months later.
The result was a defeat for Lee, but it was evident in his performance that he could compete with any lightweight in the world. Unfortunately, “The Motown Phenom” would lose two out of his next three fights, which included a brief and unsuccessful stint at welterweight.
Following the most difficult stretch of his career, the 26 year old decided to switch camps to Tristar, which is headed by Georges St. Pierre and renowned coach Firas Zahabi. In his first fight since joining Tristar, Lee scored a head-kick knockout over Gregor Gillespie which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Now, Kevin Lee faces the daunting task of fighting Charles Oliveira in Brazil. The result of this headliner will significantly alter the trajectory of “The Motown Phenom’s” career.
A win would likely move him up to number six in the lightweight rankings (currently ranked 8). The lightweight division is arguably the most stacked of any within the UFC, but Lee would force himself into contender conversation with an impressive performance Saturday night.
A loss would make him a pedestrian (2-3) in his last five, leaving his climb up the rankings that much more difficult. It would be a massive missed opportunity for Lee if he cannot capitalize this weekend versus Oliveira, who is a respected name within the division. Adding him to Lee’s already impressive win-list would heavily strengthen his case for a future title opportunity.
Kevin Lee has always possessed star qualities. He is a well-rounded fighter who can handle himself in any situation inside the octagon. Oliveira claims he wants to show that he can out kick-box Lee, so expect this one to stay mostly on the feet.
Expect Lee to out strike the Brazilian native and eventually put him down for the TKO finish.
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