Jeong Yeong Lee Record: 11-3-0

Road to UFC breakthrough

Lee earned his contract through Road to UFC, the tournament series designed to surface Asia-Pacific talent. In June 2022 he submitted Bin Xie with a first-round armbar, then knocked out Kai Lu with a right hook inside a round that October, a one-two of finishes that announced him as a genuine UFC-caliber featherweight.

UFC run

Lee opened his Octagon tenure with a pair of hard-earned victories. In February 2023 he edged the experienced Yizha, who entered at 22-3, by split decision, then returned a year later to outpoint Blake Bilder over three rounds for a unanimous nod. The momentum hit a wall against undefeated pressure: in July 2024 he was stopped by Hyder Amil via first-round TKO, the only knockout loss of his career. He then dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Daniel Santos at UFC 315 in May 2025, leaving him to regroup after consecutive setbacks against quality opposition.

Fighting style

Lee is among the more balanced fighters in his division, with a finish breakdown that reads four knockouts, three submissions and four decisions across his 11 wins. His jiu-jitsu base gives him armbars and back takes when fights hit the mat, while his right hand carries real stopping power on the feet, making him difficult to game-plan against because he can hurt opponents in multiple phases. The flip side is that his most decisive losses have come when faster, higher-volume strikers forced him to fight at their pace, suggesting that defensive consistency and output are the areas separating him from the division's upper tier.

Career highlights

• Road FC featherweight champion — captured a major Korean promotional title before the UFC, establishing himself as one of the country's top featherweight prospects.
• Road to UFC finishes — submitted Bin Xie and knocked out Kai Lu in the same tournament run to earn his UFC contract.
• UFC debut win over a veteran — outpointed the 22-3 Yizha by split decision to open his Octagon career with a statement victory.