Keith Lee began his professional MMA career in 2017 and started fighting under the nickname "Killa." Lee won the 2025 Creator of the Year Award at the Inaugural U.S. TikTok Awards on December 18. Lee, who boasts over 17 million followers on TikTok, took to the stage at the Palladium Theatre in Los Angeles and was presented the award by Paris Hilton.In his acceptance speech, Lee said,"I never in a million years thought I was going to be standing on this stage. This means more to me than I can explain."Lee reflected on his upbringing and revealed that he was a shy kid growing up and thanked TikTok for giving him a platform to share about his life.More about Keith Lee's MMA careerBefore he began creating food review videos on TikTok, Keith Lee was an MMA fighter. Lee began his MMA career in 2017, and his first official fights took place in local leagues.Lee gained recognition as a strategic competitor and signed with Bellator. Lee racked up eight wins, five losses, and zero draws in his six-year MMA career. His last fight was on September 3, 2022. After losing his contract with Bellator, Lee gave a career in social media a try. Lee began his food critique career in 2021 with taste-testing videos in his car. He would sample offerings from restaurants around his Las Vegas home.Lee soon gained attention for his 1-to-10 scale ratings and being straightforward. Lee also showed support to local restaurants and helped promote restaurants that needed help in bringing in people. Lee's sampling of food and giving an honest assessment of what he's tried would often lead to a rush of customers for the restaurants and an influx of revenue. This phenomenon came to be known as "The Keith Lee Effect," where many eateries vied to catch Lee's attention.While speaking to Today, Lee said,"I'm just a guy who records himself eating food."Lee is married to Ronni Lee, with whom he shares children. Ronni has appeared in several of Lee's videos, and the two met years before Keith achieved fame on TikTok. Lee has two daughters and, in March 2025, announced news of a third pregnancy.However, despite his fame, not everyone is happy with Keith Lee's reviews of certain local delicacies and regional food. During his U.K. visit, Lee bashed viral jacket potato sellers, Spud Bros, and regional favorites, including Yorkshire pudding.