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Kevin Lee announced himself as a legitimate threat to the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight throne with a dominant fifth-round stoppage of perennial contender Edson Barboza on April 21, but the seeds for a significantly more consequential campaign were planted that same weekend. Going into the final fight on her UFC contract, bantamweight Leslie Smith abruptly parted ways with the promotion, this after opponent Aspen Ladd failed to make weight for their scheduled match.