Kevin Lee Announces His Eagle FC Debut Vs. Diego Sanchez
Former UFC fighter Kevin Lee announced on social media that he’ll be making his Eagle FC debut against another former UFC colleague, Diego Sanchez.
Lee announced the news in a since-deleted post on his Instagram, though the post could’ve been deleted in the event the contract hasn’t been finalized. But, Lee had alluded to a matchup with Sanchez in recent weeks since signing with the promotion.
“Christmas came early this year! Contract signed,” Lee said. “I’m fighting the first-ever Ultimate Fighter on March 11th in Miami.” (h/t BJPenn.com)
Kevin Lee Vs. Diego Sanchez Puts Two Recent UFC Outcasts Against One Another
Lee and Sanchez are just a few of the names that have been let go from the UFC this year. Lee was recently released by the promotion after being served with a drug-related suspension, while Sanchez’s release came after a back-and-forth with the UFC brass and his former manager, Joshua Fabia.
Both men are desperately looking to get back on track in their respective MMA careers. Lee has lost four of his last five fights in the cage, and most recently against Daniel Rodriguez in August.
Sanchez was originally supposed to fight Donald Cerrone at a UFC Fight Night event at the beginning of the year but withdrew on short notice. Cerrone ended up fighting Alex Morono.
Lee is a former interim lightweight title challenger who lost to Tony Ferguson at UFC 216. Before that, he had been regarded as one of the top prospects in the sport with a series of impressive wins over Michael Chiesa, Francisco Trinaldo, and others.
The loss to Ferguson would be the first domino to fall in Lee’s recent struggles. He would go on to lose one-sided bouts against Al Iaquinta and Rafael dos Anjos, with a couple of wins over the likes of Edson Barboza and Gregor Gillespie.
Lee was allegedly targeted in free agency by the likes of the PFL, Triller, and other smaller promotions. He opted to sign with Eagle FC, the promotion led by former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
What are your thoughts on the targeted Kevin Lee vs. Diego Sanchez fight?
