Francisco Trinaldo
Wants to fight: [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]
The callout: “I want to fight with the top-ranked athletes in the category. I would love to face Kevin Lee and be able to defeat him.”
The reality: The evergreen [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] keeps on rolling, and his callout of Kevin Lee might have initially felt like a stretch for the 41-year-old. But following Lee’s submission loss and admission that he has to back to the drawing board, “Massaranduba” might come into the equation when Lee declares himself ready to return. However, it’s a fight that probably won’t be made. Lee, despite his recent patchy form, remains a marketable talent, and one that could dovetail well against an up-and-coming prospect with an outgoing personality. The rematch angle – Lee defeated Trinaldo via second-round submission back in 2017 – gives the matchup a chance, but I suspect Lee will prefer to fight back on U.S. soil, with the UFC matchmakers opting to keep Trinaldo in Brazil, where they can better leverage his popularity at home.
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Next up: A featherweight contender eyes big fights in TWO divisions.