MILWAUKEE – Andrea Lee knows that not everyone will believe her when she says her fight camp wasn’t impacted by the turmoil that’s affected her life outside the cage in the past few months.
However, now just days away from Saturday’s UFC on FOX 31 meeting with Jessica-Rose Clark (9-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC), “KGB” Lee (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will say it anyway.
“Honestly, I have not let it affect me any during this fight camp,” Lee told MMAjunkie ahead of the event at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. “Some people may not believe it at all, but I’m a very strong, mentally, person. So I’m able to overcome a whole lot of things.
“It’s just something that has happened, it happens in a lot of people’s lives, and you choose how you’re going to deal with it. I feel like I’ve dealt with it the right way. I’m moving forward and not looking back. All’s forgiven, and I’m happy.”
Jessica-Rose Clark not thinking about title pictures or matchup optics – just Andrea Lee
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This will be Lee’s first time stepping into the cage since an alleged attack by her husband and MMA coach Donny Aaron. The alleged domestic violence incident was detailed by MMA fighter and Lee’s friend, Andy Nguyen, in a police report. It was also later addressed by Lee, along with a controversy involving Aaron’s swastika tattoo, during an an appearance on the “Slip ‘n Dip” podcast.
“I would’ve preferred to have kept all of that my personal, private business,” Lee said at the time. “It’s my life, and the way that it got out in the media just kind of sucks.”
The incident, for which Aaron received charges of violence/battery and false imprisonment, allegedly took place on Aug. 4. Lee’s UFC on FOX 31 booking was announced on Sept. 4.
“At first I thought, was I going to be ready?” Lee said. “And then if that was enough time. Then after a few days of thinking it over, I was like, ‘I got this, I can do that.’ I need a fight, it’s a great distraction, and every fighter needs money. But I was super excited about the fight with Jessica-Rose Clark. She’s a great fighter, and I respect her.”
Jessica-Rose Clark explains why she changed gyms in middle of UFC on FOX 31 camp
The flyweight bout, which is part of Saturday’s FS1-televised preliminary card, will be Lee’s second time competing in 2018. The first was her victorious promotional debut, opposite Veronica Macedo, at UFC Fight Night 129. It capped off a five-fight winning streak for Lee, a former LFA champion and Invicta FC veteran.
Two fights in one year isn’t all that bad. But the flyweight is still hoping to up the pace in 2019 and get three fights in.
“I would like to be one of the fighters that the UFC wants to put in there more often and get me fights,” Lee said. “I feel like I’m a very exciting fighter and I think that, looking ahead, obviously I do want to fight for the title. So I would like to get in a few more fights, get some more competition. I’m looking for more experience in the cage inside the UFC.”
Although two wins isn’t that much by general UFC standards, it carries more meaning in a division like women’s flyweight. The division has only been recently created, and its roster isn’t too full, meaning a title shot might not necessarily hinge on long streaks.
Photos: Best of Andrea Lee
Valentina Shevchenko, for instance, claimed the title this past Saturday after beating former strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This was only Shevchenko’s second time competing at flyweight in the UFC after a failed title bid against 135-pound champ Amanda Nunes, and Jedrzejczyk’s debut in the division.
Lee, on her end, won’t dive too deep into speculation when it comes to her future beyond Clark. She will say, though, that she’s kept her eye on the current champ for quite some time now.
“Anything can happen, especially with the women’s flyweight division being so new,” Lee said. “I’ve been knowing that Valentina was going to be the one and every camp, I’m always preparing for Valentina. She’s an extremely great, talented fighter. She belongs at the top, she deserves the title, and she’s the toughest. She’s the one that we’re all coming for.”
To hear from Lee, check out the video above.
And for more on UFC on FOX 31, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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