Christian Lee reveals he’s doubled up his training intensity ahead of return: “I’m training twice as hard”
Christian Lee is "training twice as hard" to prepare for his highly-anticipated return.
In November 2022, Lee defeated Kiamrian Abbasov by fourth-round TKO for the ONE welterweight MMA world title, making him a two-division king. The 26-year-old hasn't fought since that night, as he took time away to heal from the tragic passing of his younger sister, Victoria Lee.
On November 8, 'The Warrior' will end his two-year layoff to defend his lightweight world title at ONE 169: Atlanta. Lee's upcoming opponent is Alibeg Rasulov, who defeated Ok Rae Yoon by unanimous decision in his promotional debut in July.
During an interview with Sportskeeda, Lee had this to say about his extra training to prepare for his future in ONE Championship:
"I'm training twice as hard in the gym every day, and I'm looking forward to facing each and every one of them."
Alibeg Rasulov was scheduled to fight Ok Rae Yoon for the interim ONE lightweight MMA world title. Unfortunately, Rasulov missed weight for the ONE Fight Night 23 matchup and wasn't eligible for the strap, preventing a champion vs. champion matchup against Christian Lee.
ONE 169 will take place inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets for the November 8 event are available on Ticketmaster.
Watch Lee's entire interview with Sportskeeda below:
Christian Lee temporarily diverted focus on return to support Adrian Lee at ONE 168
As previously stated, Christian Lee is locked in for his upcoming return at ONE 169: Atlanta. With that said, the two-division MMA world champion wouldn't consider missing an opportunity to corner his younger brother, Adrian Lee.
On September 6, Lee, an 18-year-old lightweight prospect, made his second promotional appearance at ONE 168: Denver. He looked phenomenal in his North American debut, as he secured a first-round submission against Nico Corenjo and walked away with a $50,000 performance bonus.
North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can watch the replay of ONE 168: Denver for free.
Watch Adrian Lee submit Nico Cornejo at ONE 168 below: