Eagle FC fighter Kevin Lee has admitted he’s jealous of the way Sean O’Malley has been able to rise up through the ranks in the UFC.

In the last few weeks, things have changed a fair bit for Kevin Lee. In addition to being released from his contract with the UFC, he also managed to find a new home with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle Fighting Championship. In early 2022, he’ll make his official debut in their 165-pound division when he locks horns with UFC veteran Diego Sanchez.

During a recent interview with The Schmo, Lee spoke about the trajectory of Sean O’Malley in the UFC and why he’s envious of the treatment he’s received.

“I’ve got to tip my hat to Sean O’Malley,” Lee said. “He knows how to come up. He did it the right way. Honestly, I wish I would have took a couple of pages or two out of his book and had that ability to kind of pick and choose my fights and put on great performances like that. He’s doing it the right way.

“I’m not mad at him for it. I’m a little jealous, I ain’t going to lie. He doesn’t have to fight jiu-jitsu black belts and then in the next fight, fight a world-class striker and then fight a world-champion kickboxer and then fight a wrestler. He doesn’t have to do that. I’m a little jealous. But I tip my hat to him for doing that, though.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you think things could’ve gone differently for Kevin Lee if he had the same strength of schedule as Sean O’Malley? Will we ever see Lee fight in the UFC again and if not, will he spend the rest of his career in EFC? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!