Injured in camp, Macksom Lee targets LFA 237 to rebuild his UFC case after Contender Series loss

Macksom Lee steps back into competition at LFA 237 on July 24 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, headlining against Carlos Tardio (12-2) — nine months after suffering the first loss of his MMA career on Dana White’s Contender Series against Hecher Sosa.

What the public did not know at the time was that Lee entered that fight compromised. Fifteen days before the bout, he tore shoulder ligaments in a gym fall and could barely move his arm for nearly four days. His trainer, Roberto “Facada” Neves, confirmed the injury to Sherdog, noting that Lee competed purely out of determination not to miss his shot at the UFC.

“I didn’t say anything so I wouldn’t sound like I was making excuses, but the truth is that I basically just survived that fight,” Lee said. “That really bothered me, because one of my greatest virtues is defending takedowns. Yet, even with all those issues, my opponent couldn’t knock me out or submit me, and he ended up getting signed. Now I want to show the UFC matchmakers that, without injuries, I’m fully capable of beating anyone in the division.”

Lee’s path to MMA is rooted in a story of loss and resilience. The son of Markine Santos — a member of Brazil’s national Sanda team — Lee grew up on the mats from the age of five after his father brought him to live at his gym. He began competing in Sanda at ten and became a two-time Brazilian national champion before transitioning to MMA. His middle name is a deliberate tribute to Bruce Lee, chosen by his father.

Tragedy arrived when Lee was 17. His father, who had already been in his corner for two MMA victories, died after being struck by lightning on a beach in Paraná. Facada, a Vale Tudo fighter and former national Sanda teammate of Markine Santos, stepped in as both mentor and surrogate father.

“I had the honor of being a friend and teammate of his father — he was like a brother to me,” Facada told Sherdog. “When he passed away, Maksom became like a son to me, and the goal of making him a champion became mine as well.”

For LFA 237, Lee has undergone his most focused camp to date, training in the United States under Facada’s coordination with sparring specifically designed to replicate Tardio’s style. “It’s the first time I’ve done a camp totally focused on me,” Lee said. With a clean bill of health and a point to prove to UFC matchmakers, he is treating the fight as the statement performance his Contender Series debut never had the chance to be.