UFC veteran Kevin Lee announces he's coming out of retirement

Surprise! UFC veteran Kevin Lee is getting back into mixed martial arts, he announced Wednesday.

UFC veteran Kevin Lee is un-retired.

Wednesday, Lee (19-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) announced in a Tweet that he will fight in MMA again, likely at lightweight. No timeline for the return was given.

“I’m coming out of retirement,” Lee wrote on X. “I’ll fight MMA again. Idk when, where, or who yet but I’m dropping weight and getting into shape now. … I’m gonna get in the best shape of my life that’s my focus right now. It’s been 6 months since I retired and I miss being around the sport.”

It’s unclear if Lee remains on the UFC roster, his contract frozen – or if the promotion severed ties when he notified it of his retirement.

Lee, 31, announced his retirement in July following a 55-second submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov. The appearance was his first fight back with the promotion since he was released in November 2021.

I’m coming out of retirement. I’ll fight MMA again. Idk when, where, or who yet but I’m dropping weight and getting into shape now.

— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) January 31, 2024

I’m gonna get in the best shape of my life that’s my focus right now. It’s been 6 months since I retired and I miss being around the sport

— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) January 31, 2024

Lee has competed professionally in MMA since 2012. He made his UFC debut in 2014 and went 9-2 in his first 11 promotional bouts. In 2017, he headlined UFC 216 when he lost an interim lightweight title bout to Tony Ferguson.

The defeat kicked off a 2-5 stretch in the UFC, prior to his release. Lee defeated Diego Sanchez under the Eagle FC banner in March 2022 before he rejoined the UFC in 2023.