Kevin Lee didn’t fly all the way to Brazil for nothing.
According to reports in Brazil, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28, headlined by Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Charles Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC), will be conducted as a behind-closed-doors event.
The event, set to take place at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, was under threat after the city’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, declared a ban on all large gatherings following news of a coronavirus outbreak in the city.
According to Brazilian outlet Combate, the event will go as planned, but with no fans in the stands. An eager Lee took to Twitter to say that the show must go on.
“@UFC if I cut this weight I’m fighting somebody, event or not #UFCBrasilia.”
It’s no secret that Lee cuts a big amount of weight to make the 155-pound limit, leading him to a brief foray to welterweight. The former UFC interim lightweight title challenger made an emphatic return to 155 pounds this past November when he knocked out Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244.
The UFC is yet to make an official announcement regarding the event but Lee is onboard with the idea of a behind-closed-doors event.
“I’m good with fighting in an empty arena. Let’s not panic too crazy, let us fight, entertain the people stuck at home. #UFCBrasilia”
