Former UFC contender Kevin Lee books bareknuckle MMA debut for Gamebred FC
It appears Kevin Lee’s return to fighting will be a busy one.
A former UFC lightweight contender and interim title challenger, Lee has booked a second fight for his return as he’s signed on for his bareknuckle MMA debut under the Gamebred FC banner – the fight promotion owned by Jorge Masvidal. Lee is scheduled to take on MMA veteran Saul Almeida on Nov. 15 at the Mississippi Coast Colosseum in Biloxi, Miss.
The news was announced by Gamebred FC on Tuesday.
This is Lee’s second booking in as many weeks. Lee is already scheduled for a traditional MMA fight Sept. 28 at Lights Out Championship 17 in Wayne, Mich. He fights Thiago Oliveira.
Lee, 32, is returning to MMA competition for the first time since a July 2023 loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov. The appearance was Lee’s UFC comeback fight. He retired afterward but is now making a comeback to combat sports.
Lee fought 19 times for the UFC from 2014 to 2024. He compiled a record of 11-8 under the promotion. During that UFC run, Lee competed for an interim lightweight title in a pay-per-view headliner at UFC 216 in October 2017, losing to Tony Ferguson. He also picked up several notable wins over the likes of Edson Barboza, Gregor Gillespie, Michael Chiesa, and others during his UFC tenure.
Lee’s Bareknuckle MMA opponent, Almeida, has a professional MMA record of 22-10. He’s fought under the Bellator and WSOF banners, and has shared the cage with many notables such as Calvin Kattar, Rob Font, and Goiti Yamauchi.