UFC Fighter Warns Peers to 'Leave Politics Alone' After Alleged Backlash

Kevin Lee claims his support for Bernie Sanders cost him opportunities in the UFC.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 4:51pm

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A cubist-style painting featuring fragmented, overlapping geometric shapes in muted tones, conceptually representing the disruption of a UFC fighter's career due to political involvement.A fractured, cubist depiction of a UFC fighter's career, shattered by political allegiances.Seattle Today

Former UFC fighter Kevin Lee claims his political allegiance to Bernie Sanders led to him being sidelined by the promotion, including being relegated to the prelims for his final fight. Lee alleges that after he met with Sanders in 2019, the UFC told him he was 'dead in the water' and that he should have accepted a meeting request from former President Trump instead. Lee is now warning other UFC fighters to 'leave that politics sh*t alone' if they want to avoid a similar fate.

Why it matters

This story highlights the potential risks for professional athletes who choose to be politically active, especially if their views clash with those of the sports organizations they compete in. It raises questions about whether UFC has blacklisted fighters for their political leanings and if there is a double standard in how the promotion treats fighters based on their political affiliations.

The details

According to Lee, he was largely ignored by the UFC towards the end of his career, including being relegated to the prelims for his final fight despite being a former top-10 lightweight. Lee claims this was due to his support for Bernie Sanders, stating that after he met with Sanders in 2019, the UFC told him he was 'dead in the water' and should have accepted a meeting request from former President Trump instead. Lee also alleges that his former opponent Michael Chiesa received preferential treatment from the UFC, including a 'hero's send off' for his retirement fight.

  • In 2019, Lee met with Bernie Sanders a week after being told Trump wanted to meet with him.
  • Lee's final UFC fight was on the prelims of an Apex card during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The players

Kevin Lee

A former UFC fighter who claims his support for Bernie Sanders led to him being sidelined by the promotion towards the end of his career.

Michael Chiesa

A UFC fighter who Lee claims received preferential treatment from the promotion, including a 'hero's send off' for his retirement fight.

Bernie Sanders

A U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate that Lee met with in 2019, which he believes led to him being blacklisted by the UFC.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States, who Lee claims the UFC wanted him to meet with instead of Sanders.

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What they’re saying

“I know exactly when I went wrong in the UFCs eyes. After I won my fight at MSG in 2019 they told me Trump wanted to meet. I snuck into the crowd and left the building. Then I met with Bernie Sanders a week later and did a whole speech for him. At that point I was dead in the water. I was told this.”

— Kevin Lee, Former UFC Fighter

“I beat Chiesa in his most high-profile fight in the first round. He got a hero's send off in the UFC, fought another retiring fighter in his hometown, mom and wife and everybody there to watch his life story. My last fight in UFC was on the prelim of an Apex Card during Covid against an undefeated up-and-coming Russian.”

— Kevin Lee, Former UFC Fighter

The takeaway

This story highlights the potential risks for professional athletes who choose to be politically active, as their views could clash with those of the sports organizations they compete in. It raises questions about whether the UFC has blacklisted fighters for their political leanings and if there is a double standard in how the promotion treats fighters based on their political affiliations.