NEW YORK – Kevin Lee beat Gregor Gillespie with a first-round knockout Saturday to open the main card at UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Take a look inside the fight with Lee, who snapped a two-fight skid in his return to lightweight and his first fight since moving his training to Tristar Gym in Montreal, home of former welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Result: Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 2:47
Updated records: Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC), Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Key stat: Lee won by knockout for the first time in the UFC and just the third time in his career.
Lee on the fight’s key moment
“It feels great to get back into the win column. Coming off two losses, it eats at you some days – so it’s been a lot. It’s been a lot to get to this point – years and years just to get to that kick. It feels (expletive) good. I think that’s the cleanest knockout of my career. I think it’s something that he wasn’t expecting, and that a lot of guys down at 155 weren’t expecting. I’m coming with a whole different type of power that these guys ain’t seen me throw before. I haven’t even shown half of my game yet. I’ve got a lot of fights in the UFC, but I seriously feel like I’m just starting.”
Lee on moving his training to Montreal
“I was saying even before this fight, regardless of how it went, I feel that going up to Tristar made me a better fighter. It made me more focused, I’ve always had the talent and the skills, but it’s been hard for me to put everything together, and now I feel like I’ve found the perfect place and the perfect guide to do that.”
Lee on what he wants next
“155 is the place for me from here on out. I’ve got a title to get. I started my career here, and this is where I’m going to shine.”
To hear more from Lee, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
After career-best KO at UFC 244, Kevin Lee says he's just getting started