Kevin Lee isn’t holding back after watching how Michael Chiesa was celebrated in his retirement fight.
Chiesa closed out his career in style at UFC Seattle, submitting Niko Price in the first round in front of a home crowd. The moment was emotional, well-timed, and widely praised, a perfect send-off for a veteran.
“I beat Chiesa in his most high-profile fight in the first round,” Lee wrote. “He got a hero’s send-off in the UFC, fought another retiring fighter in his hometown — mom, wife, everybody there to watch his life story.
“My last fight in UFC was on the prelims of an Apex card during COVID against an undefeated, up-and-coming Russian. Chiesa tried to fight me in the locker room before the fight — I didn’t say a word. Cold game fam.”
Kevin Lee’s frustration comes from the contrast. While Chiesa exited the sport under the spotlight, Lee’s final UFC appearance happened quietly, with no crowd, no moment, and no recognition.
Back in 2017, Kevin Lee submitted Chiesa in the first round of a heated main event clash. The buildup included a near brawl at a press conference after Lee mentioned Chiesa’s mother — a moment that defined their rivalry.
Years later, Lee claims tensions still lingered behind the scenes.
“Chiesa tried to fight me in the locker room before the fight,” Lee added. “I didn’t say a word.”
Kevin Lee’s UFC run had its highs and lows. He once fought for interim gold against Tony Ferguson after building momentum with key wins. But inconsistency followed, and after multiple losses, his time with the promotion eventually came to an end.
He also believes certain decisions outside the cage may have played a role in how things unfolded.
“I know exactly when I went wrong in the UFC’s eyes,” Lee wrote. “After I won at MSG in 2019, they told me Trump wanted to meet. I left the building instead. Then I went to a Bernie Sanders rally and spoke. At that point, I was dead in the water. I was told this.
“Let it be a lesson to any young athlete, leave that politics stuff alone.”
Since then, Kevin Lee has continued his career outside the UFC, including a stint in the PFL, though results have been mixed. Still, his comments make one thing clear, he hasn’t forgotten how his chapter in the UFC ended.
