While Dagestan’s wrestling dominance has steamrolled through the UFC—neutralizing elite strikers and grapplers alike—former UFC star Kevin Lee isn’t buying into the hype. As he gears up to face Team Khabib’s Gadzhi Rabadanov, Lee boldly claims that his American wrestling style is the true kryptonite to both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

In fact, Lee isn’t holding back. Not only does he believe American wrestling is superior, but he’s also taking direct shots at Islam and Khabib, asserting that he would defeat their hegemony. While having a conversation with MMAJunkie, Lee expressed that Russian wrestling might be good, but he has what it takes to expose them, “The last time that I fought a Russian, or somebody from that area, was in 2015. We fought in Ireland, and going into that fight, one of my main goals was to show that American wrestling is better, and I proved that.”

Lee was referring to his clash against Magomed Mustafaev, which took place in 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The ‘Motown Phenom’ defeated the Russians by unanimous decision, cementing his status as one of the top talents in the promotion. The fighter didn’t stop there—he was even referenced as Khabib’s kryptonite by the host. Quite absurd, especially when you consider that he was defeated by Charles Oliveira, who then lost to Islam Makhachev.

Talking about Islam Makhachev, Lee claimed that the soon-to-be-former lightweight champion avoided fighting him. How? Well, according to Lee, “They’re very good, you know. I called out Islam for a long time too. My fight against Charles Oliveira in Brazil was actually supposed to be Islam in Russia. That was supposed to be the fight to be had, and I think that they avoided that fight for a reason.”

It’s quite bold of him to intensify his rivalry with Team Khabib ahead of his match against Gadzhi Rabadanov, who is riding an eleven-fight winning streak. But does this winning streak mean anything to the fighter? Apparently not, as in his recent conversation, Lee has ripped into Rabadanov.

Kevin Lee issues fresh warning to Team Khabib ahead of PFL world tournament

Set to make his long-awaited PFL debut, Kevin Lee is gearing up to take on Team Khabib’s rising star, Gadzhi Rabadanov, in the semi-finals of the 2025 PFL World Lightweight Tournament on June 20. Returning after a year-long hiatus, Lee enters the bout on a one-fight winning streak and is confident he will handle Rabadanov with ease.

In his recent interview with DAZN news, the former UFC fighter did not hold back as he issued a bold callout to Team Khabib’s hotshot, “I think it’s going to be a great fight. And he’s a champion, so he should stay in there for a long time. If he doesn’t, if he wants a way out, then I’m going to kick his head clean off his shoulders. I’m usually pretty light-hearted and keep it funny and laughing and joking, but I’m dead serious. I will kick his head clean off.”

With Rabadanov riding the momentum of his 2024 tournament victory and an extended win streak, Lee views this as the perfect opportunity to remind the world of his elite pedigree—and he’s laser-focused on derailing the Dagestani juggernaut.