Kevin Lee reacts following submission loss to Charles Oliveira: “I choked myself out”

Former UFC interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee squared off with surging division contender Charles Oliveira in today’s UFC Brasilia headliner.

Lee had entered the contest with a ton of confidence, this after handing Gregor Gillespie his first career loss courtesy of a brutal head kick knockout at UFC 244.

However, ‘The MoTown Phenom’ missed weight by 2.5lbs for today’s contest with Oliveira, leaving many to wonder if the miscalculated weight cut would lead to issues in the fight itself.

The UFC Brasilia headliner between Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira proved to be a highly entertaining bout. The two exchanged wild shots and the feet (most specifically Oliveira) while engaging in some intense grappling exchanges on the ground.

In round three Lee would shoot in for a takedown which gave Oliveira the opportunity to lock up his neck. The Brazilian submission ace quickly secured the hold and within seconds Kevin Lee (18-6 MMA) was forced to tapout.

The disappointing setback served as Lee’s third loss in his past four Octagon appearances. The Detroit native had suffered previous losses to Rafael dos Anjos and Al Iaquinta respectively during that stretch.

Shortly following the conclusion of tonight’s event in Brazil, a dejected Kevin Lee spoke with MMAFighting during a media scrum.

“I mean I got choked. So, I don’t know. The fight was going good. I just got choked. That’s all I can.. I really can’t put it on anything else but that.” Lee said. “The first two rounds I felt like I stuck to the gameplan and then I sat in the corner before the third and I told them I was going to switch up the gameplan. And, looking back on it, I admit that it was the wrong move. I tried to take control of the fight, instead of just trying to let the fight happen. So, I choked myself out.”

Kevin Lee continued:

“I think lightweight it still my home,” Lee said after missing weight. “You know I just have to fine tune some things. But I am going to take a long time. I kind of rushed into this fight. It will probably be a good minute before you all see me again. It will probably be a few years or so.”

What do you think of Kevin Lee suggesting he might take a few years off following tonight’s loss to Charles Oliveira? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!

March 14, 2020