Kevin Lee may have expressed interest in a move up to welterweight, but his coach isn’t thrilled with the idea.
Lee fell short in his bid to capture the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title. He was submitted by Tony Ferguson in the third round of their UFC 216 main event. After the bout, Lee said a move to welterweight is possible due to a tough weight cut.
Speaking to ESPN, Lee’s coach Robert Follis pumped the brakes on that idea:
“I know Kevin talked about it right after the fight, but we haven’t discussed it as a camp yet. Obviously, it’s a possibility — but I’m not sold that’s happening yet. I like him at 155 pounds. We’ve got to do something to make that cut a little easier, but he’s worked his way to the top there. Right now, I think 155 is good, but 170 is not out of reach. He’s capable of putting on size.”
Follis then said he’d like to see something done to decrease the dangers of weight cutting.
“There are some huge jumps between weight classes and people are trying to morph their bodies to fit a weight that isn’t natural. Long term, it would be best to see weight cuts cleaned out. I’d love to see commissions come together and remove them from the equation. How much someone can sweat shouldn’t be a factor in who wins a fight.”
