Kevin Lee confused why UFC rejected offer to compete on Dana White's Contender Series

Kevin Lee was willing to work his way back to the octagon, but the UFC wasn’t interested.

Following a noteworthy first stint with the organization, Lee (19-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) re-signed with the UFC in 2023. He was quickly submitted by Rinat Fakhretdinov in his return, and then announced his retirement. Just six months later, however, he walked back his decision.

“The Motown Phenom” hoped his UFC tenure would continue, and was even willing to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series – a show for prospects to get an opportunity at a UFC contract – to prove his worth. But despite Lee’s previous success in the octagon, he was denied the opportunity.

“I really want to compete,” Lee said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “For me, money isn’t necessarily the biggest issue. I said I’d take that fight for $5k on Contender Series, and I’ll fight the best contender that they feel they got out there. They weren’t interested in that. Why? I don’t know. I didn’t have much conversation with the UFC besides Sean Shelby, and he said he wasn’t really interested in doing something like that. When I talked to Ali (Abdelaziz), and he tells me anything about the UFC, he says they’re not interested at all.

“Why that is? I couldn’t tell you. I’ve been part of some of the biggest fights in UFC history. I finished off their Fox deal going into the ESPN deal, and I’m a pretty easy guy to work with. I feel like I’m professional, I do what I need to do, and I don’t rub too many people the wrong way. Why necessarily they didn’t want me to go on Contender Series to show that I’m still one of the top 155 pounders out there, I don’t know, but I’ll make sure that this next time, there is no doubt.”

Lee’s MMA career will continue under the Global Fight League (GFL) banner, which officially launches it’s draft on Jan. 24.