Adrian Lee over the moon after first-round destruction of Nico Cornejo at ONE 168: “Finish it as fast as I can”
Adrian Lee was happy to finish his second promotional fight "as fast as he could" at ONE 168: Denver.
Last Saturday represented a special moment in ONE Championship, as the promotion returned to North America for an action-packed event. The night started with three of ONE's young future superstars securing wins inside the distance - Johan Estupinan, Johan Ghazali, and Adrian Lee.
The younger brother of Christian and Angela Lee was making his second promotional appearance after his debut in June. Lee promised to stay active, which he proved true by facing Nico Cornejo at ONE 168.
Lee overpowered Cornejo from the opening bell and won by first-round submission. Following his impressive performance, the 18-year-old joined Mitch Chilson in the cage and had this to say about his second professional MMA fight:
"You know, [there's] no reason to drag out the fight. I try to finish it as fast as I can, and that's what I did."
Adrian Lee is undoubtedly a future lightweight world title challenger. Luckily for him, he has time to gain experience and evolve, as he's only 18. Furthermore, his brother, two-division king Christian Lee, currently holds the lightweight strap.
Watch Lee submit Nico Cornejo at ONE 168 below:
Adrian Lee walks away from ONE 168 as one of six fighters to receive $50,000 bonus
ONE 168 started and ended with ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong rewarding the fighters for impressive finishes. Firstly, the three previously mentioned youngsters, Johan Estupinan, Johan Ghazal, and Adrian Lee, all received $50,000 performance bonuses.
Later in the night, John Lineker, who defeated Asa Ten Pow, and Seksan, who defeated Liam Harrison, received bonuses for their Muay Thai performances. Both fighters brought violence and had fans going crazy with their finishes.
Last but certainly not least, two-sport world champion Superlek received a $50,000 performance bonus for his violent elbow knockout win against Jonathan Haggerty. 'The Kicking Machine' stole the show to end the night by putting away a durable Haggerty in only 49 seconds.
The replay of ONE 168: Denver can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Superlek knock out Haggerty below: