Background and career
Kevin Jeese Lee Jr. (born September 4, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he competes in the Lightweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he fought in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. He also once competed in Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) as a Super Lightweight. In October 2017, he headlined the UFC 216 pay-per-view and competed for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship.
Lee was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 4, 1992, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Lee has a sister and two younger brothers, one of whom is Keith, also a professional mixed martial artist previously signed to Bellator who trained with Kevin previously at Xtreme Couture and is currently with Tristar. He competed in basketball growing up and began wrestling during his junior year at Southfield High School. Lee continued his wrestling career at Grand Valley State University, where he was a national tournament qualifier and went 37–0 as a sophomore. However, with two years left of wrestling eligibility at the school, Lee dropped out to focus on a career in mixed martial arts.
Lee made his promotional debut against Al Iaquinta on February 1, 2014, at UFC 169. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. After the loss, Lee moved from his native Michigan to Las Vegas, searching for improvements to his game. At The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale on July 6, 2014, Lee got his first win for the promotion when he defeated Jesse Ronson by split decision. Lee faced Jon Tuck at UFC 178 on September 27, 2014. Lee won the fight via unanimous decision.
Lee faced Michel Prazeres on February 14, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 60. Lee won the fight by unanimous decision. Lee next faced James Moontasri on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. Lee won the fight via first round submission. Lee faced Leonardo Santos on December 12, 2015, at UFC 194. Lee lost the fight via TKO in the first round.
Lee next faced Efraín Escudero on April 23, 2016, at UFC 197. Lee won the fight via unanimous decision. Lee next faced Jake Matthews on July 8, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. Lee won the fight via TKO in the first round. Lee faced Magomed Mustafaev at UFC Fight Night 99 on November 19, 2016. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The win earned Lee his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
Lee faced Francisco Trinaldo on March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 106. After a back-and-forth first round, Lee won the fight via submission in the second round. Lee faced Michael Chiesa on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. He won the fight via submission at the end of the first round. The win also earned Lee his second Performance of the Night bonus award. Chiesa appealed to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission to overturn the defeat, claiming referee Mario Yamasaki erred both in stopping the fight despite no tapout nor loss of consciousness and in allowing Lee to use illegal downward elbows, which cut his head. Lee fought Tony Ferguson on October 7, 2017, at UFC 216 for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. Despite starting off strong, Lee lost the fight by submission in the third round.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
