While he sees Daniel Rodriguez as a worthy opponent, Kevin Lee is disappointed the Mike Perry fight never materialized.
Lee (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) initially called Perry out in May, but Perry said he needed more time. Lee then was booked to face Sean Brady at UFC 264 in July, but was forced out due to a rib injury. The pair was then rescheduled for UFC on ESPN 30, but Brady had to withdraw.
Insisting to remain on the card, “The Motown Phenom” took the opportunity to re-divert his attention to Perry, but it was Rodriguez (15-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) who stepped in to take the fight, which has Lee thinking Perry wants no part of him.
“Mike Perry would have been a good one,” Lee told Submission Radio. “That would have been a good name. Honestly, it would have been a softball, and I was kind of looking for a softball. I ain’t had one yet in my career, and Perry would have been that. But he didn’t want to give it to me. So me and him, I lost a lot of respect for the man after that. I asked for that fight in May. He said give him a little bit more time. So I moved on and wanted to fight Sean Brady in July.
“He said he needed a few more weeks up there in July, but then Aug. 28 rolls around and he still ain’t say nothing. So I lost a lot of respect for the man. And I say one thing, and it’s going to be the end of it between me and him: He can never say he’s from Michigan again. If I hear it, anything come out of his mouth, that he’s from Flint, that he’s from Michigan, we’re going to have some serious problems. There ain’t going to be none of that picture-taking and hand-shaking when he sees me. That’s not how we get down where I’m from.”
Perry currently is enduring the roughest stretch of his career with losses in four of his past five fights. Never one to back down from a fight, Perry responded to Lee’s second callout by saying he’s game, but that he now leaves the decisions up to his team while he looks to invent himself.
“The man doesn’t even have a coaching staff,” Lee said. “You mean leave it to his girl? And if it’s on his girl’s decision, well then now I really lose a lot of respect. So best of luck to him. Best of luck to him. I hope he does something. But to me, if you’re not stepping up and you don’t want to fight, then get the f*ck out the way and let somebody else get in here. Do what you do, but get the f*ck out the way. You’re holding up some other kid’s dream that wants to be in here. So I ain’t got no respect for it.”
Kevin Lee rips Mike Perry for not fighting him: ‘He can never say he’s from Michigan again’
