Michigan’s Kevin Lee has endured a treacherous road to recovery since his loss to Charles Oliveira in March 2020. He suffered a torn ACL in his knee on the night that required major surgery. But fast forward to August 2021, and he has his next fight on the horizon against Sean Brady.
Brady has won all of his 14 fights as a pro, including his first four fights in the UFC. It’s not exactly the easiest of fights for Kevin Lee to jump back into, but he wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s going into this one as the underdog at +142 with top sportsbooks like FanDuel. Sports betting in Michigan is on the rise, and those wanting to back one of their own should consider the likes of FanDuel and William Hill, with both offering competitive odds. The value is there on the 28-year-old from Grand Rapids.
Sean Brady is the clear favourite at -168, but he knows how dangerous Lee can be. You only have to go back to Motown Phenom’s last win at UFC 244 in 2019 to realise that. A head kick KO got him the win that night over Gregor Gillespie, but that is Lee’s only win since April 2018.
With four losses in his last six fights, he knows he needs to bounce back with a win to guarantee his place on the roster for the future. The UFC are ruthless with their cuts, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lee go the same way as other fighters who have performed below par.
Lee Stats vs Oliveira
Kevin Lee didn’t throw or land any leg kicks in his last bout, which might give you an idea of his tactics for the Brady fight at the end of August. He landed 61% of his strikes, of which 35 were to the head. He managed two takedowns but ultimately lost via submission in round three.
Here’s a rundown of how it played out stats wise for the Michigan fighter:
Strikes thrown – 61 of 100 (61%)
Significant strikes – 41 of 80 (51%)
Head strikes – 35
Body strikes – 6
Leg Strikes – 0
Takedowns – 2 of 3
What if Lee Beats Brady?
Sean Brady might have won his last two bouts via submission, but seven of his 14 fights have gone to the scorecards. In contrast, Kevin Lee’s gone the distance just once in his last 10 fights. This suggests Lee might need a finish to get a result, which is why he’s regarded as the underdog here.
It will all come down to how he’s feeling from his injury. If he’s in the best shape of his life, he’s got a great chance. If he’s tentative and thinking about another injury in there, he won’t stand a chance against the firm favourite from Philadelphia.
No matter how the win arrives, if it does come, then Lee could see himself propelled right back into contention after one fight back. Brady’s ranked 14 in the world, so a win against him would see Lee eyeing up top 10 fighters for his next bout, and maybe even a title shot in 2022 if he keeps winning.
Whether he fights again this year or not will depend on how his body is after this one, but if Lee gets Brady out of there quick, there’s no reason why he couldn’t fight again before the year’s out. If that happens, keep an eye on the fight schedule to see when Dana puts him in next.
It’s not an easy return for Kevin Lee, but a win will be a reward for all the hard work he’s put in. If he loses, will he get another chance to redeem himself?