Kevin Lee released from his UFC contract after 2 back to back losses and a failed drug test


Kevin Lee released from his UFC contract after 2 back to back losses and a failed drug test

Kevin "Motown Phenom" Lee

Former UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee has been released by the UFC. Lee started strong in the UFC, going 9-2 over his first three years in the UFC. But a 2017 loss to Tony Ferguson in a fight for the UFC interim belt along with the suicide of his coach Robert Follis marked a downturn in “The Motown Phenom’s” career.

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Lee struggled to make lightweight but wasn’t able to deal with the size of welterweights. Impressive wins over Edson Barboza and Gregor Gillespie were interspersed with losses to Al Iaquinta, Rafael Dos Anjos, Charles Oliveira, and most recently Daniel Rodriguez. No shame in losing to any of those killers, but too many Ls stacked together never bodes well for UFC fighters.

It was the first submission defeat of Kevin Lee’s career. The loss was the beginning of Lee’s downfall. He then followed up with a loss in a rematch with Al Iaquinta. Over the years, he then faltered in his welterweight debut against Rafael Dos Anjos, and a submission defeat against the current UFC lightweight champ Charles Oliveira.

Kevin Lee received a suspension from USADA after his loss against Daniel Rodriguez

Kevin Lee and Daniel Rodriguez
Kevin Lee and Daniel Rodriguez

In between the Oliveira and Rodriguez fights, Lee also had the misfortune of blowing out the ACLs in both of his knees, taking him out of action for a year and a half. Following the Rodriguez fight, he failed a USADA test for amphetamine and was suspended for six months (Lee claims it was Adderall). That may have been the tipping point for the UFC releasing him.

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Lee wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post about the whole situation and his thoughts on the same. “I have tested over the limit allowed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in my most recent fight,” Lee wrote. “In 2018 I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD, it has always affected me. I did not discover a real treatment for the diagnosis until 2020 when I was recovering from my double knee surgeries. I was prescribed Adderall by a doctor to improve my mental health,” Lee continued as per MMA Junkie

Also read – “I’m still kicking myself in the a** over it,” Kevin Lee on not applying for an exemption to avoid Adderall suspension