Although Kevin Lee recently joined the PFL promotion, his dispute with the GFL organization is far from over.
The fighter, who once contended for an interim UFC title, was expected to be a key part of GFL`s planned debut this year. The new league had announced its first events for May 24 and 25, featuring numerous well-known MMA figures such as Tony Ferguson, Anthony Pettis, Holly Holm, Urijah Faber, Benson Henderson, Paige VanZant, Sage Northcutt, and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
While Lee was not scheduled for those initial dates, he was announced as part of the GFL roster in December. Six months later, he is now signed with the PFL and preparing to face Gadzhi Rabadanov on June 20 at PFL 5.
Speaking on SiriusXM, Lee alleged that GFL exploited fighters by making financial promises they ultimately failed to keep. He confirmed that he and his team are taking legal action against the promotion.
Lee explained, “For about the past 12 months, we were heavily involved in discussions with GFL. They presented themselves as the upcoming major promotion, and I fully supported them. The conversations were positive, but they never translated into concrete action.”
He added, “I can`t discuss the situation extensively because we are now pursuing legal action. I will be suing them for defamation and extortion. I believe they used fighters like myself and our names to gain prominence in the MMA promotion landscape, and ultimately, nothing materialized from it.”
GFL founder Darren Owen claimed that the event cancellations were due to a primary investor failing to fulfill a funding commitment, yet he stated plans to launch the promotion in the future remain. Conversely, another fighter who signed with GFL, veteran Alan Belcher, publicly described the league as a “scam.”
Lee feels more stable now, concentrating on his upcoming fight against Rabadanov, who boasts an impressive 11-fight winning streak and hasn`t lost since 2020. Stepping in as a replacement for the injured Jay Jay Wilson, Lee sees this as a direct path to the 2024 PFL lightweight tournament finals if he can secure a victory.
When asked if he views this fight as an opportunity to make a statement, Lee responded, “That`s precisely what it is, and my sole focus. I`m not concentrating on anything else. For the last six or seven months, my entire focus has been on climbing back up and competing against a top lightweight, and this opponent fits that description.”
He continued, “Some people believe the UFC is the absolute peak and contains the best fighters, but this individual is a very high-level competitor. So, when I step out there and defeat him on June 20, I will demonstrate that I am still among the world`s best lightweights. I feel many have written me off, or perhaps they`ve forgotten or simply dismissed me. I don`t know what they think, but it truly doesn`t matter to me. I see the doubt, and I hope it continues. I hope they keep writing me off and dismissing me. I plan to show them in a significant way on June 20 when I go out there and dominate a lightweight who has repeatedly proven himself. Once I stop him in the manner I know I can, I will prove that I am still one of the top lightweights, just as I was a few years ago.”
