{"id":309965,"date":"2019-04-16T07:21:40","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T14:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=309965"},"modified":"2019-04-16T07:21:42","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T14:21:42","slug":"kevin-lee-wanted-rafael-dos-anjos-fight-to-be-first-165-pound-matchup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/kevin-lee-wanted-rafael-dos-anjos-fight-to-be-first-165-pound-matchup\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Lee wanted Rafael dos Anjos fight to be first 165-pound matchup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kevin Lee wanted to make history with Rafael Dos Anjos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 26-year-old asked the UFC if his matchup with Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC Rochester could be the first fight in the promotion’s history at 165-pounds. Instead the \u201cMotown Phenom\u201d has to settle for a welterweight contest instead, but that doesn\u2019t mean he couldn\u2019t make a statement about the weight class on May 18. Lee thought about the idea of showing up five pounds less for the welterweight contest to make a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he\u2019s down with it, I\u2019d be down \u2013 and I\u2019d cut an extra little five pounds for that, make a statement, make some noise.\u201d Lee told reporters backstage at UFC 236 (via MMAJunkie<\/a>) \u201cIt\u2019s in our contract, we ain\u2019t got to, but I like to push some buttons. It might be a little backroom deal that we got on there. RDA\u2019 is kind of, he don\u2019t really give you too much to go off of, and he don\u2019t really give you too much back and forth, so, you know \u2013 I\u2019ll ask him, see what he thinks about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee (17-4) has been outspoken about a 165-pound division in the UFC. Having a tough cut to lightweight but being somewhat undersized at welterweight \u2014 standing 5\u20199 tall \u2014 having a new weight class would be ideal. If it doesn\u2019t happen now, Lee believes we will see this new weight class in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s inevitable,” he said. “I think we all kind of see that. I think it creates more work for them, and they don\u2019t really see that much more benefit out of it. But, at the end of the day, when you talk about fighter safety and you talk about not having to dehydrate your brain and getting to fight a similar opponent, that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for, is an even playing field. That\u2019s why I\u2019m actually glad that \u2018RDA\u2019 is going up \u2013 and you see (Anthony) Pettis go up, you see Jorge (Masvidal), you see a lot of other guys go up \u2013 just so we can fight on an even playing field. If I don\u2019t have to dehydrate myself and dehydrate my brain 16 more pounds, please don\u2019t make me. I think, for fighters\u2019 safety, it has to be done. It\u2019s just making more work for them, but I can\u2019t tell somebody else how to do their job, so I\u2019m going to do mine. \u201cEven squaring off with \u2018RDA\u2019 and seeing him face-to-face, we\u2019re the same size, man,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI like that about it. And, at the end of the day, I just like a good fight. He\u2019s going to give it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UFC Rochester takes place at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y on May 18. It will air on ESPN+. Who do you think will come out on top when Kevin Lee and Rafael dos Anjos fight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article first appeared on <\/em>BJPENN.COM<\/em><\/a> on 4\/16\/2019. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kevin Lee wanted to make history with Rafael Dos Anjos. The 26-year-old asked the UFC if his matchup with Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC Rochester could be the first fight in the promotion’s history at 165-pounds. Instead the \u201cMotown Phenom\u201d has to settle for a welterweight contest instead, but that doesn\u2019t mean he couldn\u2019t make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54468,"featured_media":274839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[19995,10109,39610],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nKevin Lee wanted Rafael dos Anjos fight to be first 165-pound matchup | BJPenn.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/kevin-lee-wanted-rafael-dos-anjos-fight-to-be-first-165-pound-matchup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kevin Lee wanted Rafael dos Anjos fight to be first 165-pound matchup | BJPenn.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kevin Lee wanted to make history with Rafael Dos Anjos. 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