“Motown Sleeper” – Fans react to the fall from grace story of Kevin Lee after getting laid unconscious by Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC on ESPN 48

Former title challenger Kevin Lee lost disappointingly at UFC on ESPN 48 for his comeback fight. The future looks bright for Rinat Fakhretdinov.

“Motown Sleeper” – Fans react to the fall from grace story of Kevin Lee after getting laid unconscious by Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC on ESPN 48

Rinat Fakhretdinov submits Kevin Lee at UFC on ESPN 48 (Image Courtesy - Athletistic/MMA Orbit)

Kevin Lee returned to the UFC in 2023 after leaving the company in 2021. He faced Rinat Fakhretdinov for his comeback fight at UFC on ESPN 48. The fight card featured a middleweight main event between loudmouth Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov. However, the comeback fight did not go as planned for Kevin Lee.

Rinat found the range better than the American fighter as soon as the fight started. Rinat landed the better shot until he knocked him down in the first minute. He followed that up with a submission attempt that laid Lee unconscious in the octagon. The return did not go as planned, and fight fans wondered where Kevin Lee could go after losing in this fashion.

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After competing for the title in 2017, Kevin Lee has only won three of the last seven fights. One of those wins came against an aged Diego Sanchez in the Eagle Fighting Championship. The once-promising career of Kevin Lee remains unknown to fans at the moment. He cannot win against mid-tier competitions in the UFC and will likely never compete for a title again. The UFC cut him in 2021 after losing badly to Daniel Rodriguez.

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The future looks bright for Rinat Fakhretdinov. He showcased good striking capability in the opening round and has the wrestling to compete with any other fighter in the welterweight division. Hopefully, he gets a ranked opponent for his next fight. Rinat could potentially be another of the Eastern European fighters to fight for the title in the near future.

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Fans react to disappointing Kevin Lee loss at UFC on ESPN 48

Kevin Lee
Kevin Lee (Image Courtesy – Siasat.com

“The Motown Phenom” returned to the UFC after a little more than a year away. He came back hoping to put on another winning streak and potentially challenge for the title. However, Rinat Fakhretdinov destroyed him in the first round. Fans went on Twitter to discuss the submission. Check out some of the fan reactions:

Kevin Lee’s future as a fighter remains bleak at the moment. He cannot get over the hump among mid-card fighters. Dana White and the UFC need to rethink their strategy about the future of Lee before booking him another fight.

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