Kevin Lee headed back to UFC, signs exclusive deal

Kevin Lee is back.

ESPN confirmed today (Mon., Feb. 6, 2023) that Lee (19-7) has officially signed a new exclusive deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). No date or return opponent has been locked in just yet, but Lee believes it to come in spring. Lee, 30, is expected to compete in the 170-pound Welterweight division.

That 165-pound world championship will apparently have to wait.

“I met with [UFC President] Dana White and [Chief Business Officer] Hunter Campbell, and I feel like I’m going back home,” Lee said. “I’m grateful for them welcoming me back and looking forward to the next chapter of my career.”

Lee departed the promotion midway through 2021 after a unanimous decision loss against Daniel Rodriguez in his return to Welterweight. The loss put “The Mo-Town Phenom” on a two-fight losing streak with four losses in his patch of five recent outings. Lee last fought for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle Fighting Championship in March 2022 at Super Lightweight (165 pounds), defeating Diego Sanchez via a unanimous decision (watch highlights).

Professional Fighters League (PFL) appeared to be the next landing spot for the one-time UFC interim Lightweight title challenger after signing with a top mixed martial arts (MMA) management company, Dominance MMA. Lee recently shared his interest in being the first fighter to face Jake Paul in the boxer’s eventual MMA debut. In addition, Lee has expressed interest in stepping up to face rising super star and top-ranked Welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev.

Lee’s most notable bout came in Oct. 2017, facing Tony Ferguson for UFC’s interim Lightweight title. After a strong start to the affair, Lee found himself caught in a third round triangle choke submission and has struggled to replicate the same degree of success obtained during his run to title contention.