Kevin Lee: "UFC said Makachev isnt a big enough of a draw for a fight with me. Not a big name"

[Iron Skin]

He wants Islam...In Russia..Isn't he fucking awesome?

 

[Taric]

Kevin Lee isn't a big enough name to turn down competition.

 

[KPMGANZ]

Bullshit. Makhachev is much more well-known than Oliveira. They just don't wanna see Lee lose.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Olivera is way more known and has been fighting way longer. Not to mention they love him in Brazil, a more proven market than Russia for the UFC. He's a bigger name for sure, not sure by how much of a margin though

He's been fighting for longer but i'm not sure if he's more popular. I don't really do much social media but i'm pretty sure Islam has a lot more followers on social media than Olivera does, not sure how that translates to views though.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

No one wants to fight Makhachev because ”he’s not a big name”.

Can’t be a big name if you can’t get a fight.

Also can't get a big fight if you have a history of leaving UFC in the lurch.

• on April 16, 2016, at UFC on Fox 19...the UFC announced that Makhachev had failed an out-of-competition drug screening, testing positive for the banned anti-ischemic meldonium. The match was cancelled. USADA lifted the suspension of Makhachev after a hearing on July 2, 2016.
• was expected to face Michel Prazeres on September 2, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 115. However, Makhachev pulled out of the fight in the beginning of August citing a religious reason, and he was replaced by Mads Burnell.
• Makhachev was expected to face Francisco Trinaldo on January 26, 2019 at UFC 233.[31] However, it was reported on November 11, 2018 Makhachev was pulled out from the event due to undisclosed reason

Yes, I added the first one even though it's arguable it wasn't his "fault".

I'm not taking a side here. I'm merely showing there is more than one side. Cheers.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Is Olivera really more well known? This reason seems odd since Olivera doesn't seem very popular himself.

Yeah, but this fight is in Brasilia.

Maybe Da Bronx is well known there? He has like 25 fights in the UFC alone and iirc he always lived in Brazil.

 

[Celeron]

I think the UFC just doesn’t want to hurt either fighters career here, which makes sense. Maybe the word ruin is an exaggeration but with how tough it is to advance at 155, a loss for either fighter will set them back years

As much as I would love to see them fight and I also don’t want either one to lose. Besides there are so many fighters at 155 that these two could take on with out having to run into each other for now.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Yeah, but this fight is in Brasilia.

Maybe Da Bronx is well known there? He has like 25 fights in the UFC alone and iirc he always lived in Brazil.

He's likely more popular in his home country but I don't think he is outside of it. I'm just saying the excuse that Makachev isn't a big enough name but Olivera is doesn't make sense.

If they said something like they need a big name specifically for the Brasilia card so they picked a Brazilian it would make sense.

 

[Willy Knuckles]

He's been fighting for longer but i'm not sure if he's more popular. I don't really do much social media but i'm pretty sure Islam has a lot more followers on social media than Olivera does, not sure how that translates to views though.

I'm not sure how it translates either TBH, but yeah he has a lot more followers on there than a lot of fighters. Olivera has fought a lot of big names too, that has definitely helped his name recognition at the very least

 

[Willie]

Oliveira is not 'way more known' than Makhachev. He's on a 6 fight win streaks but nobody talks about him, I hear more people talk about Islam in mma media than Oliveira.
Leon Edwards is on an 8-9 win streaks and nobody cares about him.
Oliveira well known and loved in Brazil, so is Islam in Russia.

 

[Jabbathehook]

Hope Kevin Lee sticks with Zahabi, his career achievement thus far is besting Tony for 1 round, but he is in great hands there with a coach who will utilise his skillset.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

He's likely more popular in his home country but I don't think he is outside of it. I'm just saying the excuse that Makachev isn't a big enough name but Olivera is doesn't make sense.

Maybe the UFC wants neither to lose.

Or maybe they just don't like Makhachev. They gave an unknown fighter a fight with Pettis last weekend (not that he didn't deserved that). They are giving Lee to Oliveira.

Maybe they are saving Islam to fight someone else (why not Iaquinta?) or they don't want to push him at all. 6 fights winning streak against good competition and Islam has yet to be booked against a ranked opponent.

 

[Sansnom]

Just said on Ariel Helwani show.

The reason the fight didnt get made was because the UFC didnt like the idea. Nobody knows Makachev and Kevin Lee is a big name in the division. They want him in bigger fights.

But Lee said after this fight he will see if he can get the UFC to agree again. And he wants to fight him in Russia.

I guess the only way we see it is if Kevin Lee loses vs Oliveira.

I call bullshit. If he really wanted that fight the UFC would make it imo

 

[Ackmed]

So did he really sign a contract UFC gave him in Dec like he said then? Why would they give him a contract?

https://www.mmanews.com/kevin-lee-says-hes-waiting-on-islam-makhachev-to-sign-bout-agreement/

Or maybe he was loose with verbiage. Maybe he signed a pre-committment or some such thing.

Nowhere did Fighter Kevin Lee say he signed a contract UFC gave him in December.

Watch the actual interviews of FKL with Helen Yee and Schmoe, he never said he got a contract to fight Islam, he actually said "I'm waiting on a contract!" And "I hope" (to get one).

Helen Yee put words in his mouth. Just an example why u shouldnt believe these MMA "journalists"

...the same ones make it sound like Islam pulled out from fighting Trinaldo and whatever else some Sherdoggers love to quote.

 

[sleepyguard85]

Since when is gatekeeper Kevin Lee a big name?

 

[Ideanudge]

UFC doesn't want Makachev fighting because he is unpopular and too good in a popular fighter division.

 

[Ackmed]

I think the UFC just doesn’t want either prospects careers here, which makes sense. Maybe the word ruin is an exaggeration but with how tough it is to advance at 155, a loss for either fighter will set them back years

As much as I would love to see them fight and I also don’t want either one to lose. Besides there are so many fighters at 155 that these two could take on with out having to run into each other right now.

So UFC is OK with ending one of FKL vs Chuck's prospects but not FKL vs Islam?

Both sides have acknowledged that it's the UFC who doesnt or didnt want to make the fight and that neither is ducking the other.

If there's truth to the potential summer bout in Russia that would he awesome.

 

[Ackmed]

UFC doesn't want Makachev fighting because he is unpopular and too good in a popular fighter division.

If he was unpopular it wouldnt have been Ariel's very first burning question to Fighter Kevin

 

[TheJohnnyWalkerEra]

Good for Kevin for letting us know why that fight didn't get made

He had some balls to ask for it

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Nowhere did Fighter Kevin Lee say he signed a contract UFC gave him in December.

Watch the actual interviews of FKL with Helen Yee and Schmoe, he never said he got a contract to fight Islam, he actually said "I'm waiting on a contract!" And "I hope" (to get one).

Helen Yee put words in his mouth. Just an example why u shouldnt believe these MMA "journalists"

...the same ones make it sound like Islam pulled out from fighting Trinaldo and whatever else some Sherdoggers love to quote.

Interesting. Yes I was only going off this (and other reports like it):

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mm...-waiting-on-islam-makhachev-to-sign-contract/

Do you have a link to the actual interview? I suppose I should search YouTube myself first...

EDIT: you’re right if this is the interview, he says he’s ready to sign.