Kevin Lee still pushing a bout with Sage Northcutt, thinks the UFC wants to get rid of him

Now 6-2 in the UFC, the always outspoken Kevin Lee is pushing again for a fight with “Super” Sage Northcutt.

“My impression is that they want to get rid of Sage,” Lee (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who most recently dispatched Jake Matthews at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, recently told MMAjunkie Radio. “At least they should for the (expletive) show he put on at (UFC) 200; he embarrassed himself.

“Go ahead and throw him to the wolves. Your boy is the wolf, so go ahead and make that one on Dec. 3 – that’s when I’m pushing for. But (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva’s let me down more than my dad at Christmas time, so what am I going to do?”

With Silva set to retire at the end of the year, Lee is one of dozens trying to get a booking, in this case at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Sage Northcutt

He’s also not the only one targeting Northcutt. Up-and-comer Mickey Gall put the young star on his hit list following a one-sided beatdown of Phil “CM Punk” Brooks at UFC 203.

Lee has tried for a rematch with “The Ultimate Fighter 15” finalist Al Iaquinta (12-3-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who outpointed him in his octagon debut. But then Iaquinta ran into problems at the negotiating table and is in limbo with the promotion after a proposed booking with Thiago Alves was scratched.

“I think they’re trying to find what’s smart for me, but he hasn’t come to me with anything,” Lee said. “I’ve asked. I thought they should have made the Iaquinta fight, but what can you do?”

Lee is open to facing just about anyone in the 155-pound division – he just wants notable opposition. The things missing on his resume are highly ranked fighters.

Currently unranked at lightweight, Lee isn’t shy about calling for what he wants, and maybe that’s why he struggles to get the marquee names to engage. He talks so much, the sound gets turned down.

And, of course, losses to Iaquinta and “TUF Brazil 2” veteran Leonardo Santos don’t help his case.

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that, as an up-and-coming fighter, it’s his job to be his biggest advocate.

“I get up for the bigger fights,” Lee said. “If they give me a fight (against) somebody I have a lot of respect for and I actually understand it’s dangerous, that’s when you’re going to see the best me come out, because I’ll be honest, some fights like Leonardo Santos, I was just like, ‘Yeah. I’ll do it.’

“If they come at me with another name like that, I’ll be like, yeah, whatever. I’d rather have a big fight. I get up in the morning a little bit better.”

So for the UFC, he simply asks the promotion to give him someone he can get up for. It’s nearing Christmas time.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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