Kevin Lee steps in for injured Stevie Ray against Jake Matthews at TUF 23 Finale [UPDATED]

By Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Australia’s Jake Matthews has a new opponent for The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale next month, as his home country’s Daily Telegraph reports – with confirmation from the UFC – that Kevin Lee has stepped in to face him following an injury to Scotland’s Stevie Ray.

The 21-year-old Matthews has won four of five fights, and is riding a two-fight winning streak into the July 8 event in Las Vegas. Matthews has submitted three fighters in his four UFC wins to date, including his most recent opponent Johnny Case in one of 2016’s most entertaining fights in March.

Lee, 23, steps up on short notice out of a win over Efrain Escudero in April at UFC 197. The “Motown Phenom” has won five of seven fights in the UFC, and brings a 12-2 overall record into this event.

The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale comes to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, airing live on Fox Sports 1 with a headlining bout between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha.

[Note: The original version of this story had the bout taking place at UFC 200. That was a mistaken date as the Australian report had the local date for this bout’s airing, while it actually takes place on July 8 in the U.S. The article has been corrected.

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