Kevin Lee takes aim at Michael Chiesa after his retirement, claims he was ‘dead in the water’ after snubbing President Trump
MMA Fighting • • sports
Key Points:
- Kevin Lee recalled his 2017 submission win over Michael Chiesa as one of his biggest UFC victories, highlighting the intense rivalry and near brawl before their fight.
- Lee contrasted his own modest UFC sendoff with Chiesa’s celebrated retirement following his final win, noting Chiesa even attempted to provoke a rematch backstage before Lee’s last UFC fight.
- Lee’s final UFC bout in 2023 ended in a quick submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov, but he believes his UFC career was effectively over after 2019 due to political reasons.
- After a 2019 knockout win at Madison Square Garden, Lee said UFC wanted him to meet then-President Donald Trump, but he avoided the meeting and later supported Bernie Sanders, which he claims led to his UFC downfall.
- Lee warned young athletes to avoid mixing politics with their careers, implying that his political actions negatively impacted his standing with the UFC.
