EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson: ‘It Was A Surprise’ To See Kevin Lee Get Released
UFC Welterweight contender Stephen Thompson hopped on the horn with LowKick’s James Lynch this week and addressed a variety of topics.
One topic brought up was the UFC’s surprising release of former Lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee.
“It was a surprise to me. He is a popular guy so it was pretty surprising to see him get released. He beat an undefeated Gregor Gillepsie and lost to the champ Oliveira. I hope he can keep his chin up and find success in another promotion.” Thompson said.
One thing is for sure, the Kevin Lee news wasn’t just a surprise to Thompson, it shook the MMA world up and many fighters and pundits alike seemed taken back at the news.
Kevin Lee Seemed To Share Stephen Thompson’s Suprise At The News
During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Lee said that the UFC brass didn’t contact him directly to notify him of the move, and had a coordinator email him about it.
“That was kind of the worst part about it,” Lee said on The MMA Hour. “Didn’t really have the proper notice or even really have a phone call about it. At first, I was shocked a little bit. I didn’t really understand what was going on. Then once I talked to my manager, agent and kind of made sure it was official, I hopped on the phone with a bunch of other people.
“I’m pissed and a little bit embarrassed and it really doesn’t make much sense to me.”
Do you agree with Stephen Thompson? Is Kevin Lee’s release from the UFC surprising?
