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

[Fossor]

Well you also have to take into account risk.

Given the choice of two unknown fighters, if your aim is to preserve star power, it's better to fight the lower risk guy.

Maybe they want to see another highlight reel KO out of him.

And yes, Islam is relatively unknown in the US except to hardcore fans.

It is not like Oliveira is a well known in the US and definitely not more than Islam. I hope FKL gets submitted and returns to the prelims, where he belongs.

 

[Willie]

It doesnt make sense, if we compare,Khabib was already a top contender by his 8th fight and he wasnt super well known either. He hit the top marks after his fight with Johnson.
So why does UFC thinks Makhachev is not really worthy yet ? I wouldnt be surprised if Lee was talking some shit.
As for not experienced enough that's bullshit too. He's a khabib team mate, sambo champion, went through the same tranings, competitions, as Khabib, you can't call him 'not experienced enough'.

 

[Deleted member 448575]

Islam has no less than 1.9 BILLION followers worldwide.

 

[DivineMind]

It is not like Oliveira is a well known in the US and definitely not more than Islam. I hope FKL gets submitted and returns to the prelims, where he belongs.

Yea u missed my point though. Charles is a much easier fight. They don't have a problem with giving Kevin Lee a fight with an unknown as long as he's likely to win.

If Kevin Lee is going to lose, they would prefer he lose to someone with significant star power.

Who knows though we don't have all the information, this could all be bs.

I think Kevin Lee could be champ, so I don't have a problem with him taking it slow with his new team

 

[Fossor]

Yea u missed my point though. Charles is a much easier fight. They don't have a problem with giving Kevin Lee a fight with an unknown as long as he's likely to win.

If Kevin Lee is going to lose, they would prefer he lose to someone with significant star power.

Who knows though we don't have all the information, this could all be bs.

I think Kevin Lee could be champ, so I don't have a problem with him taking it slow with his new team

Dude gasses and his chin is a suspect! He will never be a champ! Zero chance!

 

[kirsky]

Fighter Kevin Lee is a liar!
How is Gillespie bigger than Makhachev?!
Islam Makhachev 1.9 million(!) instagram followers!
Fighter Kevin Lee 300,000 instagram followers!
Gillespie 60,000 instagram followers!

Followers from russia ( probably most are fake also)... that dont even know what ppv is
ps: and I dont care who he will fight

 

[GraciesFrontKick]

Followers from russia ( probably most are fake also)... that dont even know what ppv is
ps: and I dont care who he will fight

You realize that UFC has a major tv deal in Russia now and Khabib and Poirier did 20 million views? Islam was on that undercard.

This is a stupid excuse. Islam is WAY more well known than Gillespie.

 

[Fossor]

Followers from russia ( probably most are fake also)... that dont even know what ppv is
ps: and I dont care who he will fight

It is still 6 times more than Fighter Kevin Lee has. And don't forget that fake Russians elected Donald Trump!

 

[Hotora86]

Dang, Islam in Russia? That’s some huge balls. Gotta respect people that not only want the hard fight, but want it in enemy territory

The dynamic between Dags and Muscovites is such that Moscow can be considered "enemy territory" for the Dags...

 

[Lovelyboy]

The dynamic between Dags and Muscovites is such that Moscow can be considered "enemy territory" for the Dags...

Thats why so many of them live in moscow

 

[Ackmed]

he said he talked to them for hours so they could have told him both 1 and 2 because they are kind of related. And 3 would obviously not be something they would say but he feels like is true, but maybe want he meant was they don't want to beat Islam.

I think it's likely the real reason they may not want the fight is because they don't want either to lose right now.

So that means they're OK with Olivera losing, and they think Kevin wins that fight? Like I said it doesnt make sense.

 

[Hotora86]

BECAUSE so many of them live in moscow

FTFY

 

[cyanogen]

Are we talking about the fighter Kevin Lee or about the scottish soccer player Kevin Lee? The thread title doesn't make it clear...

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

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.

Fair addition to the conversation.

I’ll also add, as a response to the statement that you can’t become a big name if they wont give you a big fight:

Sure you can, through some combination of (1) in-cage highlights, and (2) out-of-cage exploits.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

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’d like to know more about how they translate too. I would guess that there’s a ton of overlap between Islam’s social media and Khabib’s. That doesn’t matter if those are all real people who will buy a card that Islam is on, but we’d need to find out to what extent that is the case before deciding that Islam is “popular” in the only relevant way.

 

[I am your real dad]

He's not. After Lee said that, he mentioned what he thought was the real reason they don't want him to fight Makachev, which is they don't want Kevin to win, they don't want him to beat a possible top prospect.

Why would they worry about that?
Everyone knows Kevin can't win that fight.
Much less the one he is in now.

 

[Aluminati]

UFC picking up the torch from Obama and bailing out their Detroit brethren again.

 

[HHJ]

Fighter Kevin Lee is a liar!
How is Gillespie bigger than Makhachev?!
Islam Makhachev 1.9 million(!) instagram followers!
Fighter Kevin Lee 300,000 instagram followers!
Gillespie 60,000 instagram followers!

I dont think fighter Kevin Lee is lying,he is simply saying what UFC told him

 

[dindonker]

Jobbers like Cowboy and Pettis should just retire or go to Bellator. They are clogging up the division. Cowboy is still the 5th in LW. Makhachev, Ferreira, Taisumov, Davi Ramos and god knows how many low or unranked guy would batter him. Joke of a company.

 

[Seso]

Islam is going to get a big name to fight if he wants to fight Khabib if he's going to be in the top 5. But he doesn't want that, so he knows his place. So he can keep fighting no names