Kevin Lee suffered a severe broken jaw in his PFL debut against Gadzhi Rabadanov, which he describes as the worst injury of his career, leaving him uncertain about his future in fighting.
Kevin Lee has been through the wringer with surgeries and injuries, but nothing compares to the broken jaw he suffered in his PFL debut against Gadzhi Rabadanov. In this fight, Lee, stepping in as a late replacement for the 2025 tournament, didn’t make it past the first round. Rabadanov’s strikes left him face down, and the aftermath revealed a broken jaw.
To recover, Lee had his jaw wired shut—a nightmare he describes as his worst injury yet. “Listen, I’ve had all types of injuries,” Lee shared on Instagram. “Broken fingers, toes, bones in my foot. Twisted ankle. Shin splints. Three knee surgeries. Messed up meniscus, MCL, grade three hamstring tear. Tore my groin. Ulcer. Shoulders… I could keep going.”
But the jaw? “Don’t break your jaw,” he warned. “Don’t get it wired. It’s the worst. 24/7, it sucks. It f*cking sucks. There’s no two ways around it.”
After a brief retirement, Lee returned with hopes of rejoining the UFC, even snagging a win on the regional scene before signing a multi-fight deal with PFL. Sadly, his debut didn’t go as planned. Rabadanov, the 2024 lightweight champion, ended it with a first-round knockout, adding another victory to his streak.
Post-fight, Lee admitted, “I can’t absorb shots anymore,” leaving his future in the sport uncertain. Will he return? Only time will tell.