Kevin Lee is ready to take a significant step up in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
“The Motown Phenom” recently submitted Michael Chiesa in Oklahoma City in the main event of UFC Fight Night 112. While the win was controversial because Chiesa didn’t tap or pass out, Lee has still received praise for his ground work.
During the post-fight show, Lee traded barbs with Tony Ferguson who served as an analyst that night. In a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Lee criticized “El Cucuy’s” desk work:
“I even saw his little write-up he did before and I just don’t understand it. Does the man even watch fights? Do you even watch? I’m not even judging him as a fighter right now, when they bring you on the desk I’d expect you to put some effort and some time into it. If FOX wants a real fighter to go and do it, who actually takes the time and takes the effort. He was saying that he was going to hit me with the right hand, I don’t think he even realizes Chiesa is a southpaw. He was getting ready to fight Mike Chiesa, how do you not study? Do you not watch the fights? Do you not study? Then he was saying that he kept taking me down, you know, it just didn’t make any sense.”
While Lee has been clamoring for a bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov, he wouldn’t back down from a match-up with Ferguson.
“I’ve been trying to make this Khabib fight just because everybody thinks Khabib is such a monster, he’s all this and all that. If they want to make the Tony fight happen, I’m cool with that. I thought that judging by the backstage (talks) and everything, I thought they would go with Tony and (Edson) Barboza, that’s why I was pushing for Khabib, but if they wanna do me and Tony, hell yeah, I’ll do it. I’ll step up.”
