Kevin Lee has booked his debut with the PFL, and he’s immediately set his sights on the toughest test yet.
The former UFC interim lightweight title challenger has had a difficult few years of inactivity and up-and-down results. But he comes back to the big leagues with a showdown against 2024 PFL tournament winner Gadzhi Rabadanov next month as he steps in for the tournament semi-finals.
He takes the place of injured former Bellator star Jay-Jay Wilson and now positions himself in a perfect spot for title contention. But he first must defeat Rabadanov, who is one of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s many lightweight proteges.
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Kevin Lee announces PFL debut against 2024 tournament champion
In a press release today, the PFL confirmed that Kevin Lee was returning to major league MMA after signing a multi-fight deal with the promotion. What surprised fans was the speed at which he will debut, making his first appearance on June 20 in Wichita, Kansas.
In a brief statement on his Instagram page announcing the news, he shared a photo of himself with the caption: “It’s official, I’m stepping into the PFL lightweight tournament against the #1 ranked guy June 20th.”
The wrestling standout will face 2024 champion Rabadanov in place of Jay-Jay Wilson in the headliner of the night in the lightweight division. Whoever wins that fight will take on the winner of Brent Primus vs Alfie Davis in the opposite semi-final.
Lee last fought in September on Lights Out Promotions when he tapped Thiago Oliveira within two minutes. He was due out in November on a Bare Knuckle MMA event but the bout was canceled, and he now faces a stiff test in Rabadanov, who is arguably one of the world’s best lightweights.
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Should Lee beat Rabadanov, it would make him an instant favorite to win the tournament outright. The Russian obliterated Primus in last year’s final, while Davis is still relatively inexperienced at the top level meaning the winner of this main event would be in the driver’s seat.
A tournament win would not only pocket Lee a cool $500,000 on top of his fight purses, but would also put him in pole position to fight for Usman Nurmagomedov’s world title in the Champions Series. Since his barn-burner with Paul Hughes in January, the Russian has been on the lookout for new competition.
Fans have been clamouring for a rematch between Nurmagomedov and Hughes, but he seems more keen on a new challenger emerging. And an instant storyline would be built, as well as a merit-based contender position, if Lee were to defeat his teammate and go on to win the tournament.