ONE Fight Night 23: Christian Lee believes next title defense likely against the winner of Ok Rae Yoon-Alibeg Rasulov
Christian Lee is closely monitoring an upcoming possible number-one contender bout in the ONE lightweight MMA division. On July 5, ONE Championship will return to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand for ONE Fight Night 23.
In the co-main event, lightweight MMA contenders Ok Rae Yoon, a former world champion in the division, and undefeated debutant Alibeg Rasulov are scheduled for an action-packed clash. Ok and Rasulov expected their matchup to have high stakes before the division's king, Lee, upped the ante.
During an interview with the South China Morning Post, 'The Warrior' had this to say about his interest in fighting the winner of the previously mentioned matchup at ONE Fight Night 23:
"I've been watching the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Right now, I think we got a clear contender with the Ok Rae Yoon and Alibeg matchup. Definitely I think that's the No.1-ranked contender spot for the lightweight division. So, I'll be watching that closely."
ONE Fight Night 23, which airs live in U.S. primetime on July 5, can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Christian Lee's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:
Ok Rae Yoon's history with Christian Lee
In September 2021, Ok Rae Yoon attempted to regain the ONE lightweight MMA world title when he challenged Christian Lee. The world-class fighters went to war at ONE: Revolution, with Ok being successful in his mission.
Nearly a year later, Ok and Lee met again at ONE 160 for a highly-anticipated rematch. This time, 'The Warrior' made a massive statement by taking out his South Korean opponent by second-round knockout.
With a win at ONE Fight Night 23, Ok could secure a third opportunity to defeat Lee and become the lightweight king.
Only time will tell if he can showcase an impressive performance against Alibeg Rasulov and earn the opportunity.