Lee: UFC 216 bout vs. Ferguson is for 'the real lightweight championship'

The way Kevin Lee sees it, Conor McGregor should be coming for his throne - not the other way around.

With the reigning UFC lightweight champ mulling his next move without a single title defense to his name, Lee believes Saturday's interim title bout opposite Tony Ferguson at UFC 216 will determine the division's rightful king - if only based on the tale of the tape.

"It is, and you can ask anybody that's a sports fan, anybody that's a fan of MMA, and they're gonna tell you the same: this is for the real lightweight championship. Me and Tony both have the most fights in this division, it's only right when you think about it logically," Lee told the media at Thursday's open workouts.

"I'm just bringing facts to people. People think I'm talking shit, I'm bringing facts and I'm backing them up with numbers, so if you've got a problem with that, go look at the numbers and see who's really at the top of this division."

True to Lee's appraisal, he and Ferguson have won five and nine straight, respectively - the latter streak a divisional best - and head to Las Vegas with 24 trips to the Octagon between them. The matchup has rightfully caught the Irishman's attention, as he recently stated he'll decide his next move once Lee and Ferguson have squared off.

The interim lightweight title bout headlines Saturday's card at T-Mobile Arena.