Kevin Lee on how UFC champ Kamaru Usman inspired move up to welterweight
Kevin Lee has never been one to shy away from a challenge, and now he’s targeting another great.
Lee (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) will return to 170 pounds when he takes on undefeated Sean Brady on July 10 at UFC 264 in Las Vegas.
Though he’s had plenty of success at lightweight, which even led to an interim title shot, Lee has decided that welterweight will be his home for the foreseeable future. With Khabib Nurmagomedov now retired, “The Motown Phenom” explains that Kamaru Usman’s most recent knockout over Jorge Masvidal has inspired him to chase after another unstoppable champion.
“At the Kamaru Usman fight,” Lee told “The Schmo” of his decision to move up. “After he beat Masvidal the way that he beat him, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s me. I’m big too.’ This is the first time that I’ve ever lifted, really ever since college, so it’s been over 10 years since I’ve really lifted weights. But to come back off the knee surgeries, I’ve been doing a lot of weight lifting, and I’m moving around middleweights and stuff, so I’m ready.”
Lee is no stranger to bouncing a highly touted prospect out of the ranks of the unbeaten. His knockout over Gregor Gillespie remains one of the most spectacular highlights in the octagon, and he thinks his work in the lightweight division should translate in his move back up to 170 pounds.
But first, he aims to hit the UFC’s welterweight rankings with a win over Brady (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC).
“I’m already at the top of the division,” Lee said. “Me and Kamaru have locked eyes before, and I feel like that’s a match that needs to be made eventually. But for this one, I’m taking Sean Brady’s spot. He’s top 15, but he hasn’t fought anybody yet. He’s still young in his career. I mean, we’re the same age, but I’ve kind of done everything that he’s done twice almost. His biggest win is over Jake Matthews; I beat him five years ago. It took me a round to do it, it took him three rounds, so I’m here to take his spot.”
He continued, “I’ve fought legends of the sport already and guys that are gonna be future legends, so I’m gonna take all of that. Even if it was at lightweight, I feel like I’m showing up better at welterweight, and I’m going to show up healthier without killing myself and without that weight cut. I’m going to use all my past experience, and I think that’s gonna be the difference between me and Sean.”
