Adrian Lee wants to show North American fans "how exciting ONE Championship really is" in Denver
Teen phenom Adrian Lee is determined to make a statement when he makes his sophomore appearance inside the Circle on Sept. 6.
Emanating from Ball Arena in The Mile High City, ONE 168: Denver will see the 17-year-old sensation return to martial arts' biggest global stage following an impressive showing in his promotional debut at ONE 167 in June.
This time around, Lee will square off with highly-touted newcomer Nico Cornejo.
While Lee looked flawless in his promotional premiere, securing a second-round submission victory over Antonio Mammarella, he'll look to get the job done even more emphatically against 'The Steel City Kid' and give American fight fans a night to remember.
“The biggest thing I want out of this fight is just to get in there and really make a statement and to show, especially the American fans, how exciting ONE Championship really is,” Lee told ONE.
Both fighters go into their scrap in The Centennial State with undefeated records.
Nico Cornejo embracing underdog role against Adrian Lee at ONE 168: Denver
While Nico Cornejo may go into his ONE debut as a sizeable underdog, it's a role 'The Steel City Kid' is fully embracing—especially as the Pueblo, Colorado native will have home-field advantage.
"This is a true underdog story," Cornejo told Denver Sports Betting. "Born and raised in Colorado. This is a great opportunity for me. My coach told me I’m the first Pueblo fighter to be signed to a major organization like ONE Championship. ONE Championship is global, all around the world. So I’m just taking it all in. Soaking it in like a sponge."
Cornejo goes into the contest with a perfect 7-0 record, including five wins as an amateur before scoring back-to-back knockouts as a pro in 2023.
Who leaves with their hand raised and their 'O' intact when two of ONE's brightest prospects meet in an intriguing lightweight MMA showdown?
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6 at Ball Arena.