Nico Cornejo confident he can light up Adrian Lee on the feet: "I do have striking on reserve"
Nico Cornejo says he'd be ready to pull the trigger in the striking department if he needs to lean on it at ONE 168: Denver. 'The Steel City Kid' debuts on the global stage of the promotion inside Ball Arena on Sept. 6.
He aims to extend his unbeaten resume when he crosses paths with teenage wunderkind Adrian Lee in a three-round lightweight MMA fixture.
To do that, the 35-year-old grappler knows he'd need to rely on multiple facets of his game. And though he confesses that he's barely shown it in past fights, he would be more than happy to showcase his brand of striking next week.
Speaking to ONE Championship, Nico Cornejo offered:
"I know in my previous bouts that a lot of mine are wrestling. I out-grappled my opponents, but I do have striking on reserve if I need it. I've had a lot of doubters say that I don't have the striking, but no one has been able to stop my wrestling, either."
Adrian Lee seeks a first-round finish of Nico Cornejo in Denver
Nico Cornejo has won his last two in succession – both achieved via TKO. Despite being on positive momentum, he'd have it all to do against Lee, who seeks to double his professional tally at ONE 168: Denver.
The Prodigy Training Center opened his promotional account and made his pro-debut at ONE 167 this past June, where he secured a second-round submission of Australian standout Antonio Mammarella.
Somewhat disappointed by his 'late' finish of Mammarella, Lee is banking on his world-class arsenal to score a much quicker triumph against Nico Cornejo.
He told Cageside Press earlier this week:
"You guys can expect another finish. I plan to do it in the first round, but whenever it comes, it comes."
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE 168: Denver card live and for free in U.S. primetime on Friday, Sept. 6. Meanwhile, tickets for the show are still available on Ticketmaster.