Christian Lee vs. Ok Rae Yoon decision upheld by ONE competition committee
ONE Championship's competition committee upheld the original decision for the Christian Lee vs. Rae Yoon Ok fight at ONE Championship: Revolution.
The main event ended with hometown hero Christian Lee losing the ONE lightweight title to Rae Yoon Ok. The barnburner went the five-round distance, with judges awarding the South Korean fighter a unanimous decision win. This did not sit well with most MMA fans.
The Christian Lee 🆚 Ok Rae Yoon barnburner ended in 😱 CONTROVERSY 😱 Do you agree with the judges? #ONERevolution #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship https://t.co/EgmtZ0Lnrk
ONE founder and chairman Chatri Sityodtong asked the competition committee to review the fight. After revisiting the bout, the committee decided to uphold the original result.
"After an official review, the Competition Committee has upheld by majority vote the judges' decision between Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee," said Sityodtong.
Sityodtong admittedly disagrees with the judges' decision but will respect it.
"My friends in the global martial arts community are split roughly 50-50 on who won. In my eyes though, I still think that Christian won," Sityodtong added.
He went on to explain that the bout was definitely difficult to call. Lee made a good case to win the fight with his near-finishes and damage output. However, Ok's striking ability had a significant impact on his opponent as well.
Lee held the ONE lightweight championship for 861 days. He defended the belt against Iuri Lapricus and Timofey Nastyukhin.
On the other hand, this was Ok's third fight in the organization. He earned a title shot after beating Eddie Alvarez in April.
Sityodtong also noted that ONE Championship has had its share of controversial decisions since its inception in 2011. He added that the occurrence was not new to him and that he still believes the competition committee are better judges of fights than him.
Clamour for ONE to organize a rematch
The fight has driven a wedge in the MMA community, with many still debating the decision. Therefore, it only makes sense to settle the divide by scheduling a rematch.
Overturning a title fight is not a good look for any organization. Christian Lee deserves an instant rematch with Ok Rae Yoon. Just book that for the blockbuster show in December #ONEX.
The fight between Lee and Ok was a treat for MMA aficionados. This should not be the last time we see both fighters sharing the ONE Championship cage.