Keith Lee | |
---|---|
Born | Keith Lee October 4, 1996[1] Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Nickname | Killa |
Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb) |
Division | Bantamweight Featherweight |
Reach | 70+1⁄2 in (179 cm)[2] |
Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
Team | Xtreme Couture |
Years active | 2017–present (MMA) |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 13 |
Wins | 8 |
By knockout | 3 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 4 |
Losses | 5 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 4 |
Spouse | Ronni Lee |
Children | 2 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Keith Lee (born October 4, 1996) is an American food critic and mixed martial artist.
Mixed martial arts career
Lee turned professional in 2017.[3] He made his Bellator debut in 2018 and at his promotional debut he picked up a decision over Shawn Bunch at Bellator 239.[4] He lost his contract with Bellator in 2021, though as of January 2023 he still planned to continue his MMA career in a more limited capacity.[5]
Social media career
Keith Lee has gained prominence as a Las Vegas based food critic on TikTok. Lee began using TikTok in November 2020, mainly posting cooking videos and family content.[6]
Lee began posting restaurant reviews in 2021. His reviews follow a consistent formula, where he first describes where he got the food, his experience ordering the food, how much he paid, and then rating each item on a scale from one to ten.[7][5] As of December 2023, he has 15.3 million followers and his food reviews have gained over 630 million likes.[8][9] He has stated that he began making TikToks to help combat his anxiety with public speaking.[10]
Lee has also travelled to cities such as Atlanta, Houston and New York to review local restaurants, giving preference to Black-owned and family restaurants.[8][11][12] He frequently has family members place takeout orders on his behalf in order to avoid preferential treatment from restaurant owners.[13]
Lee was included on the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list under the category Food & Drink due to his Tiktok food reviews.[9]
Personal life
Lee has 3 siblings, including his brother, fellow mixed martial artist Kevin Lee.[14][15][16] Lee and his wife Ronni, who has been featured on Lee's TikTok account, have two daughters.[17]
Mixed martial arts record
13 matches | 8 wins | 5 losses |
By knockout | 3 | 0 |
By submission | 1 | 1 |
By decision | 4 | 4 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 8–5 | Jeremiah Labiano | Decision (split) | Urijah Faber's A1 Combat 5 | September 3, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
Loss | 7–5 | Jornel Lugo | Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | Bellator 265 | August 20, 2021 | 1 | 5:00 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | |
Loss | 7–4 | Raufeon Stots | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 253 | November 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 7–3 | Vinicius Zani | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 245 | September 11, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
Win | 6–3 | Shawn Bunch | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 239 | February 21, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
Win | 5-3 | Leonardo Alves Carvalho | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Global Legion FC 13 | December 13, 2019 | 2 | 2:37 | Miramar, Florida, United States | |
Win | 4–3 | Chris Johnson | Decision (Unanimous) | Final Fight Championship 38 | June 20, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 3–3 | Jeremy Pacatiw | Decision (split) | Brave CF 14 | August 18, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Tangier, Morocco | |
Loss | 3–2 | John Sweeney | Decision (Split) | 864 Fighting Championship: Fight 3 | March 24, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Greenville, North Carolina, United States | |
Win | 3–1 | Shawn Mack | TKO (punches) | KnockOut Promotions 59 | December 16, 2017 | 1 | 4:09 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | |
Win | 2–1 | Eric Daigneault | TKO (Retirement) | TKO 40 - Denouement | September 8, 2017 | 1 | 5:00 | Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec, Canada | |
Win | 1–1 | Alex Slicer | TKO (elbows and punches) | TKO 39 - Ultimatum | June 16, 2017 | 2 | 1:24 | Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec, Canada | |
Loss | 0–1 | Tony Laramie | Decision (unanimous) | TKO 37 - Rivals | January 13, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Montreal, Canada |
References
- 1 2 Sherdog.com. "Keith "Killa" Lee MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography". Sherdog. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ↑ "Stats | ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ↑ Pandey, Pranav (May 25, 2023). "Keith Lee MMA record: Was the fighter-turned-TikTok star any good inside the cage?". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ↑ "Keith Lee Motivated By Fatherhood Ahead Of Bellator 245". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. MMA News. September 8, 2020.
- 1 2 Martin, Damon (January 8, 2023). "10 out of 10: How Bellator veteran Keith Lee became one of the most influential food critics in the world". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ↑ Bandayrel, Rafael (August 24, 2021). "Who is Kevin Lee's brother, Keith Lee?". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ↑ Placido, Dani Di. "Who Is Keith Lee? The TikTok Foodie's Atlanta Drama, Explained". Forbes. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- 1 2 Oyeniyi, Doyin (December 7, 2023). "TikTok Food Reviewer Keith Lee Made Houston Go Viral". Texas Monthly. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- 1 2 "Keith Lee". Forbes. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ↑ Lindner, Emmett (November 1, 2023). "Atlanta's Dining Scene Feels 'the Keith Lee Effect'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ↑ Patel, Shafaq (December 4, 2023). "The Keith Lee effect hits Houston". Axios.
- ↑ Dixon, Kristal; Nobles III, Wilborn P. (October 30, 2023). "Keith Lee's Atlanta reviews spark backlash, debate about restaurant scene". Axios.
- ↑ McCarthy, Amy; Saxena, Jaya (December 19, 2023). "The Many Causes and Effects of Keith Lee". Eater. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- ↑ "Keith Lee, Kevin Lee's brother, signs multi-fight Bellator deal, debut set". MMA Junkie. January 21, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ↑ "Inspired by brother Kevin's success, Bellator 245's Keith Lee promises to make his own name". MMA Junkie. September 10, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ↑ "Off Guard: Keith Lee eager to fight, says training with Firas Zahabi made a huge impact". MMA Junkie. November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ↑ Zayna Allen (June 2, 2023). "Meet Ronni Lee, the Woman Behind TikTok Food Critic, Keith Lee". Yahoo.