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Who Is Andrea Lee? Boyfriend, Tony Kelly Anti-Brazilian Comments and Everything You Need to Know About UFC Star

Published 08/18/2023, 8:42 PM EDT

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Andrea Lee, nicknamed “KGB Lee” due to her Russian look, is a prominent figure in the UFC women’s Flyweight division. She first joined hands with the promotion back in 2017 and was slated to fight Kalindra Faria. However, that fight fell through. Lee was pulled from the card due to the UFC’s stringent anti-doping policies, as she was found non-compliant.

However, that didn’t stop her from making her name in the promotion. She went on to win fights against reputed UFC fighters like Veronica Macedo, Lauren Murphy, Antonina Shevchenko, Cynthia Calvillo, and more. Today, her UFC record stands at 13- 7-0 and she is currently #13 in Women’s Flyweight.

Andrea Lee’s boyfriend: Tony Kelley

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Andrea Lee’s partner, Tony Kelley, is also a mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the UFC’s Bantamweight division. Although there is no official record stating when the two started dating, the couple has been going strong now. Tony Kelley has had his share of troubles in the past as well.

In 2012, Kelley faced a simple battery charge for a nightclub altercation with a woman. However, in the end, the former UFC fighter was not found guilty of the charges. His last fight in the UFC was against Adrian Yanez, which he lost within the first round itself. On July 7, 2022, an official announcement was made, declaring that Tony Kelley was no longer a part of the UFC roster. Since then, the fighter has been seen cornering Andrea Lee.

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Vince Morales, a former UFC fighter from the Featherweight division, stated that he had a rather unpleasant run-in with Andrea Lee’s boyfriend Tony Kelley. Apparently, the two were in the elevator together when Kelley looked at him ‘menacingly’. Although it is still unclear as to why Kelley might have reacted that way, Morales made light of the situation saying Kelley might have taken him for Yanez, his former opponent.

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However, trouble followed him there as well, since a few comments made by him upset a whole community.

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Tony Kelley’s troubling anti-Brazilian remarks

Although Kelley had walked away from competing professionally, he was cornering his girlfriend Andrea Lee. In 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić, Andrea Lee was fighting Viviane Araújo, a Brazilian martial artist. During the fight, Araújo ended up poking Lee in the eye, a move that is considered illegal.

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Tony Kelley’s response to that surprised the world as it was dubbed ‘insensitive’ and ‘racist’ by most people. UFC fighter Gilbert Burns also called out the former UFC fighter on this. Being a Brazilian himself, Burns took offense owing to the comment made by Kelley which was heard by everyone in his immediate surroundings.

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Written by:

Arghyadeep Ghosh

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Arghyadeep is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His love for combat sports dates back to the WWF. Being a 90’s kid, he grew up fascinated by showmanship, competitive fighting, and wrestling.
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Edited by:

Kratika Vajpayee