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Days After Shocking Retirement, Distressing Regret That Cost Him a Conor McGregor Fight Laid Bare by Kevin Lee in Emotional Take

Published 07/18/2023, 6:44 AM EDT

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Kevin Lee was once considered a fighter with huge potential. However, his fighting career became quite turbulent after he suffered some big losses in the UFC. The 30-year-old ended up retiring from the promotion soon after he returned to the UFC at UFC Vehas 76. ‘The Motown Phenom’ became a part of the world’s biggest MMA promotion in 2014. Under the UFC, he fought a total of seven bouts, including his last bout at UFC on ESPN 48, which took place on July 1. Lee faced a terrible first-round submission loss against Rinat Fakhretdinov in his comeback bout. The Michigan Native later took to his Instagram handle to announce his retirement. 

One of the most important fights of his career was against Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight championship. However, he lost the bout in the third round via submission. From then on, he struggled with consistency. In August 2021, UFC president Dana White, released the 30-year-old from the promotion even though he had fights left in his contract. After losing against ‘El Cucuy’, Lee lost five UFC fights before his exit. Now, after his retirement, Lee has come forward to talk about his regrets, which include missing a fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

Kevin Lee talks about his regrets about UFC career

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Kevin Lee sat down for an interview with ‘Submission Radio’ a few days after announcing his retirement. During the conversation, Lee talked about the regrets he had about his fighting career. He began talking about it by mentioning that he has no regrets. However, later, he admitted his fighting career could have been better if he had won against Al Iaquinta.

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Talking further on his regrets, ‘The Motown Phenom’ added, “I just wish I was smarter, especially in fights like the Tony Ferguson fight. I feel like that fight cost me a lot, it cost me my head coach, which really changed the trajectory of my career.”

He continued, “It obviously cost me the world title. It cost me a fight against Conor McGregor, which would’ve changed a lot of things financially. So, if there is any fight that I wish had gone different, is the Tony Ferguson fight.Lee further added that he learned a lot after losing against ‘El Cucuy.’

READ MORE: “What Happened to Eagle FC?”: Kevin Lee Getting Spotted With Dana White Draws Speculations

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During the conversation, Kevin Lee got a bit emotional. The former Eagle FC star talked about how he was once the most popular UFC fighter, but later, things took an unexpected turn. He mentions that history is already written and that he can always be proud of being a great fighter. He accepts the fact that everything is already done, and there is no point in looking back and regretting those things.

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Written by:

Priyanka

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Priyanka is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Her passion for the UFC is evident in her writing, and she has been a devoted fan of the sport for many years. Priyanka is particularly fascinated by the sportsmanship displayed by fighters, and she is captivated by their ability to calculate each move when an opponent is all set to attack.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen