Former UFC interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee is back in the big leagues.
Lee (20-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) has signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and is set to make his debut in the main event of PFL 5, which takes place on June 20 at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The "Motown Phenom" will face 2024 PFL champion Gadzhi Rabadanov (25-4-2 MMA, 6-0 PFL) in the semifinals of this year’s PFL Global Tournament.
Lee steps in to replace Jay-Jay Wilson (11-1), who was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. He’ll face a tough challenge in Rabadanov, who is riding an 11-fight winning streak. The Russian got his tournament campaign off to a perfect start by dispatching former UFC lightweight Marc Diakiese in just 32 seconds during the opening round.
Lee made his UFC debut in 2014. After losing his first fight by decision to Al Iaquinta, he bounced back to win nine of his next ten bouts, earning a shot at the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in 2017. He was submitted by “El Cucuy” and went on to lose five of his next seven fights. He ultimately parted ways with the UFC after being submitted in under a minute by Rinat Fakhretdinov in 2023.
Since leaving the UFC, Lee has fought just once, scoring a quick submission victory over Thiago Oliveira at Lights Out Championship 17 in September of last year. He then announced a signing with Global Fight League (GFL), a high-profile startup promotion that was scheduled to hold its first events last weekend.
After GFL failed to launch, Lee secured a release from his contract and now finds himself with a golden opportunity to crash the PFL tournament semifinals—and possibly walk away with the $500,000 grand prize.
