Although Kevin Lee has recently joined the PFL organization, his past dealings with GFL are not yet resolved from his perspective.
Lee, a former interim title contender in the UFC, was initially announced as part of the GFL`s roster. The new league had planned debut events for May 24th and 25th, featuring many prominent MMA fighters like Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, Holly Holm, Urijah Faber, Benson Henderson, Paige VanZant, Sage Northcutt, and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
While not scheduled for those specific May events, Lee was publicly named as a GFL fighter in December. Now, six months later, he is with the PFL and preparing for a fight against Gadzhi Rabadanov on June 20th.
In a statement to SiriusXM, Lee alleged that GFL misled fighters with financial commitments that were not met. He revealed that his team intends to pursue legal action against the organization.
Lee explained, “For about the last year, we were in significant discussions with GFL. They presented themselves as the upcoming major promotion, and I strongly supported them. The conversations were positive, but there was no follow-through.”
He added that he couldn`t elaborate too much due to ongoing legal proceedings, stating, “I`ll be suing them for defamation and extortion. I believe they exploited individuals like myself, using our names to gain prominence in the MMA promotion world, but nothing materialized from it.”
GFL founder Darren Owen reportedly attributed the event cancellations to a main investor who failed to fulfill a funding agreement, maintaining that he still plans to launch the promotion later. However, Alan Belcher, another fighter who signed with GFL, described the league as a “scam.”
Lee now feels more secure in his current situation as he prepares for his fight against Rabadanov, who boasts an 11-fight winning streak and hasn`t lost since 2020. Lee is stepping in as a replacement for an injured fighter. If he manages to defeat the challenging 2024 PFL lightweight tournament contender, he could potentially advance directly to the finals with this single victory.
When asked if he views this fight as an opportunity to make a statement, Lee confirmed, “That`s precisely it, and that`s my sole focus. I`m concentrating on nothing else. Even over the past six or seven months, my only goal has been to get back to competing against a top lightweight. And this opponent fits that description.”
He continued, “Some people mistakenly think the UFC is the ultimate standard and has the best fighters, but this guy is a truly elite competitor. So, when I go out there and beat him on June 20th, I will prove I`m still one of the top lightweights globally. I feel many people have dismissed me. They either forget or simply write me off. I don`t know what they`re thinking, but it`s irrelevant to me.”
“I see people doubting me, and I hope they continue to do so, I hope they keep writing me off and not considering me. I will make a significant statement on June 20th when I step in there and decisively defeat a lightweight who has consistently proven himself. Once I stop him in the way I know I can, I will show that I remain one of the premier lightweights, just as I was several years ago.”
