Keith Lee (food critic)

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Keith Lee
Lee in 2023
Born
Keith Lee

(1996-10-04) October 4, 1996 (age 27)[1]
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
SpouseRonni Lee
Children2
RelativesKevin Lee (brother)
Martial arts career
ResidenceLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
DivisionBantamweight
Featherweight
Reach70+1⁄2 in (179 cm)[2]
Fighting out ofLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
TeamXtreme Couture
Years active2017–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total13
Wins8
By knockout3
By submission1
By decision4
Losses5
By submission1
By decision4
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
TikTok information
Page
Followers16.1 million
Likes718.9 million
Last updated: January 14, 2024

Keith Lee (born October 4, 1996) is an American food critic and mixed martial artist.

Mixed martial arts career[edit]

Lee’s mixed martial arts career turned professional in 2017. He fought under the nickname "Killa".[3] Lee made his Bellator debut in 2018 and at his promotional debut he picked up a decision over Shawn Bunch at Bellator 239.[4][5] He lost his contract with Bellator in 2021, after which he began pursuing his social media food reviews more heavily, though as of January 2023 he still planned to continue his MMA career in a more limited capacity.[6]

Social media career[edit]

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.[5] He began posting restaurant reviews in 2021. Lee's videos follow a consistent formula, where he describes his experience ordering the food and rates each item on a scale from one to ten.[7][6]

As of April 2024, he has 16.1 million followers and his food reviews have gained over 721.9 million likes.[8][9] Lee says he began making TikToks to help combat his anxiety with public speaking.[10]

Lee has 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]

In 2024, Lee selected Toronto as the first international stop of his food tour. He praised the cultural food diversity and customer service in the Canadian city.[14]

Lee was included on the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list under the category Food & Drink because of his Tiktok food reviews.[9]

Personal life[edit]

Lee has three siblings, including his brother, fellow mixed martial artist Kevin Lee.[15][16][17] Lee and his wife Ronni, who has been featured on Lee's TikTok account, have two daughters.[18]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
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, South 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

[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sherdog.com. "Keith "Killa" Lee MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography". Sherdog. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Stats | ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Keith Lee Motivated By Fatherhood Ahead Of Bellator 245". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. MMA News. September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Bandayrel, Rafael (August 24, 2021). "Who is Kevin Lee's brother, Keith Lee?". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  6. ^ a b 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.
  7. ^ Placido, Dani Di. "Who Is Keith Lee? The TikTok Foodie's Atlanta Drama, Explained". Forbes. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Oyeniyi, Doyin (December 7, 2023). "TikTok Food Reviewer Keith Lee Made Houston Go Viral". Texas Monthly. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Keith Lee". Forbes. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Lindner, Emmett (November 1, 2023). "Atlanta's Dining Scene Feels 'the Keith Lee Effect'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Patel, Shafaq (December 4, 2023). "The Keith Lee effect hits Houston". Axios.
  12. ^ Dixon, Kristal; Nobles III, Wilborn P. (October 30, 2023). "Keith Lee's Atlanta reviews spark backlash, debate about restaurant scene". Axios.
  13. ^ McCarthy, Amy; Saxena, Jaya (December 19, 2023). "The Many Causes and Effects of Keith Lee". Eater. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Alberga, Hannah (April 15, 2024). "Celebrity food critic Keith Lee blown away by Toronto visit". CTV News Toronto. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Keith Lee, Kevin Lee's brother, signs multi-fight Bellator deal, debut set". MMA Junkie. January 21, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ Zayna Allen (June 2, 2023). "Meet Ronni Lee, the Woman Behind TikTok Food Critic, Keith Lee". Yahoo.
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