Kevin Lee: Tony Ferguson Stole My Anthony Pettis Fight

Kevin Lee is ready to get back into the Octagon.

“The Motown Phenom” suffered his first loss in nearly two years against Tony Ferguson in October. He bounced back with a dominant victory over Edson Barboza that resulted in a doctor stoppage in the fifth round.

That bout took place in April, and five months later, Lee is ready to fight again. Initially he’d have liked to rematch Ferguson, who is returning from a torn ACL. Instead UFC decided to pair up “El Cucuy” with former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Ferguson and Pettis will collide at UFC 229 in October.

Speaking to Submission Radio recently, Lee said that Tony Ferguson stole his fight with “Showtime”:

“I guess I kind of got it. They were looking for a fight for Tony and he stole my fight from me. Like, that’s what it’s going to boil down to. So, me and him, you know, we already got some bones to pick, that’s going to be another added on top of the list.

“I thought that would have been the right fight to make, even if they didn’t put it on that 229 card. I know they were looking for a headliner for that Milwaukee card. What better headliner than me versus Anthony Pettis on that one? But we’re gonna have to see how this whole thing shakes up now.

“I think Tony was the x-factor in that. I think when I talked to them first they were of the mind that he wasn’t gonna be ready, just like everybody else, but I guess he’s gonna go ahead and rush his recovery in order to stop my shine. So what can I say.”

There are a few options out there for Lee now. A potential fight with Justin Gaethje is on Lee’s radar. He has also acknowledged that Al Iaquinta is a possibility as well. If it were up to Lee, however, he’d rather share the Octagon with the former World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) lightweight champ.