Kevin Lee frustrated by ‘hero’s send-off’ given to Michael Chiesa at UFC Seattle
· Yahoo Sports
Kevin Lee felt his own departure from the sport deserved more attention, especially compared to how Michael Chiesa’s retirement was received.
Chiesa’s final fight against Niko Price was one of the main talking points heading into UFC Seattle. It was a night filled with emotion, as both fighters decided to walk away after their bout at Climate Pledge Arena.
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Chiesa closed out his career with a first-round submission and earned plenty of praise for it. But not everyone was impressed — at least not without some reservations.
Kevin Lee shares frustration over how his UFC exit compared to Michael Chiesa’s farewell
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLCChiesa’s 14-year career featured notable wins against the likes of Beneil Dariush, Diego Sanchez, Jim Miller and Carlos Condit. But one of his highest-profile matchups came in 2017 against Kevin Lee, headlining UFC Oklahoma.
The build-up to their fight was intense. Things escalated at a press conference when Lee mentioned Chiesa’s mother, nearly sparking a brawl between the two. In the Octagon, Lee finished the bout quickly, submitting Chiesa in the first round.
Despite that win, Lee struggled to find consistent success afterwards. He lost six of his next eight fights and was eventually released by the UFC. His brief return didn’t go any better—he was choked out by Rinat Fakhretdinov three years ago.
Reflecting on how the promotion celebrated Chiesa’s retirement compared to his own departure, Lee expressed disappointment over social media.
“I beat Chiesa in his most high profile fight in the first round,” he posted on X.
“He got a hero’s send off in the UFC, fought another retiring fighter in his hometown, mom, wife, everybody there to watch his life story. My last fight in UFC was on the prelims of an Apex card during (COVID-19) against an undefeated up and coming Russian.”
“Chiesa tried to fight me in the locker room before the fight, I didn’t say a word. Cold game fam,” he added.
A clash reportedly broke out behind closed doors at UFC Vegas 76 back in 2023 which showed that there were still unresolved issues between Chiesa and Lee years after their original feud.
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