Limerick’s WBO middleweight champion, Andy Lee, has revealed that “I’m not a big fan of the UFC”

While Lee admitted to Second Captains that the UFC-dominated organisational structure of MMA reigns supreme over boxing’s four major organisational bodies, he feels that in terms of the actual sport – boxing has a unique appeal.

On the more explosive nature of MMA, Lee argues that “two guys fight each other and it’s over quickly. It’s a quick pay-off.”

“I think the UFC is more for the instant gratification kind of generation. The YouTube video watching generation.”

In comparison, Lee describes that boxing is “more of an investment, and sometimes you don’t always get the pay-off”

“But you have to appreciate what you’re watching in terms of artistry and the history attached to boxing.”

However, the Munster southpaw is a supporter of Irish MMA sensation, Conor McGregor. Lee called the UFC interim featherweight champion a “cultural phenomenon,” and that “I’m a big fan of his… I’d watch his fights.”

“In Ireland, more people know about UFC and more people talk about UFC because of him – it was a really niche sport.”