Kevin Lee vs. Islam Makhachev targeted for UFC 249

A lightweight bout between top-15 ranked fighters Kevin Lee and Islam Makhachev is being targeted to take place at UFC 249.

The event is set for April 18 at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, New York, with the main event seeing UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov attempts to defend his title against No. 1 contender Tony Ferguson. A fight between Lee and Makhachev would likely serve as one of the five main card pay-per-view bouts.

Lee told Helen Yee that the UFC has offered him the fight against Makhachev and he has accepted it. At this point, Lee says, his team is just waiting on the Russian to sign his end of the agreement before the bout is made official.

Here’s what Yee tweeted.

Kevin Lee tells me his next fight offered will be against Islam Mackhachev in the Khabib vs Tony Ferguson card in April in Brooklyn. According to Kevin, they’re waiting on Islam and not sure what the holdup is. Interview coming shortly.

— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) December 22, 2019

“Kevin Lee tells me his next fight offered will be against Islam Mackhachev in the Khabib vs Tony Ferguson card in April in Brooklyn. According to Kevin, they’re waiting on Islam and not sure what the holdup is. Interview coming shortly.”

This isn’t the first time that we have heard of a possible matchup between Lee and Makhachev. After Lee knocked out Gregor Gillespie in stunning fashion with a brutal head kick at UFC 244 in November, Makhachev congratulated him on Twitter and then immediately called him out for a fight, which Lee told reporters he accepted.

However, with the UFC’s 2019 schedule full, the promotion was unable to fit that fight in before the year was over. With the 2020 schedule being booked now, it’s the perfect time for the promotion to book Lee vs. Makhachev, and it appears the UFC matchmakers are doing everything in their power to make it happen. Lee has agreed to his end of the deal, and now it’s just up to Makhachev to sign his end of the deal to make this one official.

Are you excited about a potential lightweight bout between Kevin Lee and Islam Makhachev?