"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life" - Adrian Lee eagerly anticipating pro-MMA debut at ONE 167
Adrian Lee will follow in the footsteps of his elder siblings when he steps onto the global stage of ONE Championship on June 7.
The youngest member of the famous fighting family takes on Italian newcomer Antonio Mammarella in lightweight MMA action for his promotional bow when ONE 167 gets underway inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
He appeared on Hawaiian news channel KHON2, to discuss his forthcoming professional MMA debut, highlighting why this opportunity means the world to him. The 18-year-old shared:
"It feels great. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life. And I can't wait to showcase my skills."
Watch the full clip here:
Thus far, the Hawaii-based fighter has taken the martial arts world by storm. The United MMA athlete has chalked up a successful stint in amateur MMA to go with his pankration and kickboxing medals. To top it all, the teenage phenom is a state wrestling champion.
Those accolades caught the eyes of ONE Championship, who didn't waste time to complete his signing in December last year.
Adrian Lee doesn't have to look too far for inspiration
The talent-jammed roster will provide Adrian with plenty of challenges down the road. Still, based on his amateur competition days, he has all the makings to achieve similar success as his brother and sister in the promotion.
His elder brother, Christian, is the ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA world champion. The 25-year-old owns the most finishes by an athlete in ONE Championship with 16 finishes.
Meanwhile, Adrian's eldest sister, Angela, who bid farewell to the sport at ONE Fight Night 14 in September last year following Victoria's tragic passing on Boxing Day of 2022, was the former longtime atomweight MMA world champion.
Angela, still the youngest to ever attain an MMA world championship, has since shifted her focus to helping people from all walks of life battle mental health through her non-profit organization, Fightstory.
ONE 167 will be available at watch.onefc.com in U.S. primetime on June 7. The card broadcasts live from Bangkok's Impact Arena.