Former UFC Lightweight Star Makes Surprise Unretirement

This big name is coming back to MMA.

Former UFC interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee has announced his return from retirement. 

"The Motown Phenom" retired after an unsuccessful return to the UFC in July 2023 - losing to Rinat Fakhretdinov in less than a minute. 

Just six months later, Lee is unretiring, as evidenced in a series of Tweets on January 31:

"I'm coming out of retirement," Lee said. "I'll fight MMA again. [I don't know] when, where, or who yet but I'm dropping weight and getting into shape now.

"I'm gonna get in the best shape of my life that's my focus right now. It's been six months since I retired and I miss being around the sport.

Lee is most well-known for his lightweight run from 2014 to 2017, where he went 11-2, finally being stopped by interim champion Tony Ferguson. Lee and Ferguson's rivalry was viral and helped launch the careers of both men.

It was after Lee was tapped out by Ferguson that his UFC career took a rocky turn. The Detroit native lost five of his next seven UFC fights, making a single EFC appearance to defeat Diego Sanchez in between.

As Lee states in his message, he doesn't know where, who, or when he will be fighting. This indicates he may not be under contract with the UFC and could appear in other promotions such as PFL, ONE, or even EFC again.

Wherever the "Motown Phenom" makes his reappearance, there is sure to be plenty of attention.

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