This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 35, we saw a fun showdown in the welterweight division. Former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee (18-7) moved back up to 170 pounds to take on the surging prospect Daniel Rodriguez (16-2).
In the first round at UFC Vegas 35, Kevin Lee was looking really good. He was able to get a takedown and had a lot of control in the round. This was Lee’s first fight since March of 2020.
Lee has dealt with a number of injuries that have kept him out of the octagon consistently over the past couple of years. In the second round, Lee’s inactivity might have really hurt him.
Rodriguez started to plot forward with a ton of pressure and Lee started to crumble. D-Rod hurt him badly and almost ended up finishing the fight in the second round. In the third round, Lee had more success, but was still outworked by Rodriguez.
Ultimately, all three judges gave the fight to Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 35. With the loss, Lee dropped to 2-5 in his last seven UFC appearances.
UFC interested in Lee – Perry?
A few years ago, Kevin Lee had a ton of momentum. On the heels of a massive submission win in a headliner against Michael Chiesa, the UFC gave him an interim title fight. He did well in that fight, but ultimately gassed out and lost.
That loss has sent Lee’s career spiraling downwards. Now, on this recent stretch, the UFC has to get creative with what to do with him next. He doesn’t need a newcomer and he also doesn’t need to fight someone in the rankings.
Kevin Lee needs an entertaining opponent that he can have a fun fight against. That is where Mike Perry (14-8) enters the picture. Platinum Perry is one of the most charismatic and polarizing figures in the UFC.
At one point in his UFC career, Perry looked like he was going to be a title challenger. However, he’s just 3-7 in his last ten fights. After Lee’s fight on Saturday, Perry said he wasn’t impressed on Twitter.
Lee responded saying he’d be down to fight in December. In all honesty, it’s a fight that makes a lot of sense. Would you be interested in the UFC booking Kevin Lee against Mike Perry?