Kevin Lee believes he’s ready to be the first fighter to take out Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Lee is coming off a much needed victory over Edson Barboza. “The Motown Phenom” suffered a setback in his interim title bout with Tony Ferguson and wanted to prove his hot streak wasn’t for nothing. Lee survived a wheel kick from Barboza that almost sent him into orbit and continued his dominant performance. He won the bout via TKO.
After the fight, Lee told Paul Felder that he wants to go one-on-one with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder Nurmagomedov. The fifth ranked lightweight feels the time is right to call out the champion. While Lee understands that fighters are ranked ahead of him, he’d still like the opportunity to prove himself.
During a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s “JRE MMA Show,” Lee explained why he’s confident about how he’ll fare against the champion (via Flo Combat):
“I’ve been calling out Khabib for years. I’ve been wanting to fight him just because people got those questions. I got those questions too, so I’m like, ‘Let’s see what this motherfu*ker got.’ I see it. I see them holes. I don’t really focus on too much of the good. I got that boy[‘s] number, I’m telling you, Joe.”
As dominant as Nurmagomedov has been, a bout with Lee may not be a cakewalk. Lee has gone 6-1 in his last seven outings. In that span, he’s finished five of his opponents. The last time Lee went the distance was back in April 2016.
Nurmagomedov’s record is impressive to say the least. As a professional, his record stands at 26-0. He’s earned eight knockouts and eight submissions in that span. His decision victories have been dominant as he has yet to lose a round under the UFC banner.
Is Kevin Lee the man to stop Khabib Nurmagomedov?
