Kevin Lee retires after loss in UFC return: 'I went out on my shield'
Less than two weeks after making his UFC comeback, "The Motown Phenom" is walking away.
Kevin Lee, once viewed as one of MMA's brightest prospects and a potential future champion, announced Tuesday evening he was retiring from the sport.
"It's been 12 years - 12 long years of me being the best fighter that I can be, and a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication for me to try to be the best fighter in the world," Lee said in a video he posted on Instagram.
The 30-year-old Detroit native had just begun his second Octagon stint at the UFC Fight Night event on July 1. Things did not go his way, as Lee suffered a 55-second submission loss to up-and-coming welterweight Rinat Fakhretdinov.
The UFC initially released Lee in 2021 following two straight losses but re-signed him earlier this year after he bounced back with a victory in 2022.
Lee said injuries contributed to his decision to retire. He needs to undergo surgery following the loss to Fakhretdinov, though he didn't specify what kind of procedure.
"The last three years have been rough, especially on my body," Lee said.
"I'm proud that I went out on my shield," he added. "I'm proud that I stood up in there and went out on my own terms. But at this point, I have to think about more than just myself. I think that my skills and the time and the energy that I've put into this sport, I can put into something else."
Lee stumbled in the second half of his UFC career, but the first half was filled with strong performances that put him in the top five of the lightweight rankings. Lee went 9-2 in his first 11 UFC bouts to earn a shot at the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in 2017.
A submission loss to Ferguson at UFC 216, Lee's first and only pay-per-view main event, ultimately seemed to begin his downfall. He won just three of eight after that fight while bouncing between lightweight and welterweight.
Lee's biggest career victories came against Edson Barboza, Michael Chiesa, and Gregor Gillespie, the latter of which was a "Knockout of the Year" candidate in 2019. The wins over Barboza and Chiesa headlined Fight Night cards.
"When I look back on it, I had a hell of a career," Lee said. "I fought a lot of tough guys - some of the toughest guys in the world. I always put up a great fight. I never backed down. And I always challenged myself to do things that I didn't think I was capable of doing.
"I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to accomplish everything I wanted to," he added. "But I'm proud of myself for this career that I've had."