Kevin Lee announces return from retirement 6 months after calling it a career

Kevin Lee had second thoughts.

Just six months removed from his retirement, the UFC veteran announced his plans to return to action in 2024 after initially calling it a career following a disappointing loss to Rihat Fakhretdinov this past July. The loss served as Lee’s first fight back in the UFC after he was released from the promotion in 2021 and then returned less than two years later.

“I’m coming out of retirement,” Lee wrote on Twitter. “I’ll fight MMA again. [I don’t know] when, where, or who yet but I’m dropping weight and getting into shape now.

“I’m gonna get in the best shape of my life that’s my focus right now. It’s been six months since I retired and I miss being around the sport.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Lee was considered one of the top prospects in the UFC after he went on a five-fight win streak that led to an interim lightweight title shot in 2017. He ultimately suffered a submission loss to Tony Ferguson that night but Lee remained a name to watch for the future.

Lee faced ups and downs over the next couple of years including struggles getting down to the lightweight limit, which eventually led to him moving to 170 pounds. He suffered a loss to Daniel Rodriguez in his welterweight debut and that was followed by his release from the UFC.

Outside the promotion, Lee fought at 165 pounds where he scored a win over UFC veteran Diego Sanchez.

He eventually returned to the UFC but then fell to Fakhretdinov in his first fight back. That along with several knee surgeries that continued to plague him led to Lee deciding it was time to retire from the sport.

Now he’ll look to come back, although Lee isn’t setting a timeline on when he’ll fight again. If Lee dropped out of the UFC’s anti-doping program during his retirement, he will be required to undergo at least six months of drug testing before he’s allowed to compete again.