Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson Responds to Keith Lee’s Challenge to a UFC-Style Fight Following Criticism of Lee’s Food Reviews
After Mike Tyson lost a boxing match to YouTuber Jake Paul in the most unexpected crossover in sports and entertainment, another odd pairing could be hitting the mat: MMA fighter and food critic Keith Lee and retired NFL star Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
What started as a heated critique of Lee’s food reviews has since escalated into a full-blown challenge that promises more drama than the foodie’s critique of “The Real Milk and Honey” restaurant in Atlanta last year.
During a Dec. 4 appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Lee was asked about getting back into combat sport and whether he would fight a celebrity opponent.
The usually modest Lee said if he were to fight a celebrity in the ring, he wants it to be Shannon’s “Nightcap” co-host.
“If I’m gonna do anybody, let’s go, Chad,” Lee declared, making it clear that his skills extend far beyond critiquing cuisine. He continued, “Ocho was talking hot. He was talking crazy. Ocho was talking on a different level. But, we’ve had a conversation since. I talked to Ocho.”
As the prospect of the fight happening started to get people’s juices flowing, Lee said, “I come from a place of love, man. I come from a place of transparency. We had a conversation, Chad didn’t mean no harm,” but then stating, “If you wanna put the gloves on, we can put the gloves on. I ain’t gonna lie, I’d whup Chad’s ass.”
Many on the X platform weighed in on the challenge, with many people putting their money on Lee.
“Keith got this. The last time I saw Ocho in the ring, he got dropped by a love tap,” one person tweeted.
Another X user wrote, “Keith gonna knock Ocho out and make a TikTok video in the car doing a breakdown/review of the fight the next day.”
Someone else joked, “Imagine @ochocinco getting knocked out by Keith Lee, Keith look down at him and say ‘God is amazing.’”
After the episode debuted and Ochocinco heard it, he responded on the Wednesday, Dec. 4, “Nightcap” episode with Sharpe and their guest, J.R. Smith.
Ochocinco said people used to call him “Hella hands” but failed to explain why.
Not one to back down, he fired back with his own fighting words, “Keith, you better stop playing with me,” he warned. “He ain’t gonna be doing no food critic. He gonna be eating everything through a straw.”
The former NFL star continued trash talking, saying, “Matter of fact, Unc, I’m gonna fight you for letting him get on there and think he could be anything competitive. After I’mma beat his ass, then we going to fight.”
Adding, “I don’t care if it’s Bruce Lee, Spike Lee … Keith Lee. Anybody with the last name Lee gonna get their a— whooped. Matter of fact, hey, Lee from ‘Rush Hour,’ she’s fin to get it too. You got me f—ked up.”
Since then Johnson has continued to antagonize Lee by sharing posts of him in the gym or responding back to critics who say, “bro bro buddy is a mma fighter you getting packed out please don’t embarrass us.”
Johnson replied, “Yall some b—s, so fucking what he fought in the MMA, knuckle the f—k up & fight, he put his pants on one leg at a time like you do scary a— ni**a.”
In another X post, he said, “Can’t wait to beat Keith Lee the f—k up…”
Lee’s challenge stems from an incident in early November 2023, when Ochocinco publicly criticized Lee as a food critic. Chad questioned Lee’s legitimacy, suggesting his restaurant reviews were nothing more than a “hustle.”
“I don’t like the fact of what he’s doing,” Ochocinco said, criticizing Lee’s impact on the restaurant industry. “You know how hard it is for us to even get in the food industry and to have our own restaurant?” he continued.
Lee, however, took the criticism in stride, stating that Ochocinco was entitled to his opinions while highlighting the broader impact of his food reviews, which have gained massive popularity on TikTok — where he boasts an impressive 16.8 million followers — and helped a lot of Black-owned businesses.
Those unfamiliar with Lee’s fighting credentials need to know he’s no amateur.
Lee has a professional MMA record of 7 wins and 5 losses. His victories include decisions, submissions, and knockouts, primarily competing in the bantamweight division across promotions like Bellator, Brave CF, and Final Fight Championship, according to The Sportster.
His brother Kevin Lee was also a notable UFC fighter from 2014 to 2023, suggesting fighting is something of a family tradition.
While Ochocinco isn’t a stranger to combat sports, his experience is primarily in boxing he confessed.
He previously participated in a celebrity boxing match against Brian Maxwell during the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul event in 2021. Additionally, he’s set to compete in an exhibition MMA fight against former NFL player James Harrison next year, CNN reports.
The potential matchup raises intriguing questions. Would this be a boxing match that favors Ochocinco’s limited experience, or an MMA fight where Lee’s professional background could prove decisive?
“We’d sell out a big one for that,” Lee told Sharpe before saying, “It’d be crazy. And we’re gonna hug each other and pray afterward.”
For now, the fight exists in the realm of possibility — leaving their social media followers salivating at the prospect of the two in the ring.
One thing is certain: whether they fight or not, Keith Lee and Chad Johnson have already delivered a knockout performance in the arena of smack talking and promotion. Just in 24 hours alone, they set the stage for another epic match up for fight lovers to enjoy.
