One of the most recent MMA promotions that Kevin Lee signed with is facing severe legal action from the former UFC lightweight contender.
When Lee (20-8) joined the UFC in 2014, he shot to fame in mixed martial arts. After losing to Al Iaquinta in his debut Octagon bout, he went 9-1 in 10 subsequent bouts to earn a fight for the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson. In his bout with Ferguson, Lee got off to a great start but eventually faltered, joining the lightweight legend’s renowned 12-fight winning streak.
After losing his only attempt to win the UFC title, Lee felt both hot and cool. He moved up to the welterweight class after going 2-3 in his next five lightweight bouts. He lost to Daniel Rodriguez via decision in his first bout in the weight class. After that, Lee left the UFC for a short time.
He returned to the Octagon following an Eagle FC victory over Diego Sanchez. Rinat Fakhretdinov subdued him in less than a minute during his initial retaliation. After submitting Thiago Oliveira in the first round on the regional scene, Lee then departed the organization once more and joined the new GFL (Global Fight League) promotion.
Why is Kevin Lee, a UFC veteran, suing the GFL?
Lee was one of dozens of MMA notables to sign with the GFL. He joined stars like Tyron Woodley, Paige Van Zant, Junior dos Santos, Sage Northcutt, and Fabricio Werdum on the roster. According to respected MMA reporter Alex Behunin, he was promised an amount in the high six figures and possibly even seven figures by the newbie promotion.
Then, in a show of clumsy and startlingly dishonest business tactics, the GFL totally collapsed. As a result, every boxer who signed with the promotion was forced to look for alternative sources of income.
Lee was fortunate. He signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) right after, and the promotion is expected to take care of him despite an extremely difficult first encounter.
He plans to sue the GFL for a number of offenses even though he has recovered. He says that includes extortion and defamation.
“These last maybe 12 months we were in pretty heavy talks with GFL,” the UFC veteran told RJ Clifford. “They were supposed to be the new startup promotion. They were supposed to be the next big thing, and I got behind them pretty good.
“The talks were great, but there wasn’t no action behind it,” he added. “I can’t speak too, too much on the situation because now we’re going through legal.
“I’ll be suing them for some defamation, for some extortion. I think they used guys like me to get out there and be a major face of the MMA promotion business. Nothing ever came from it.”
Regarding the cases Kevin Lee is planning against the GFL, what do you think will happen?
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