"She understands the fight game" - Rising star Adrian Lee thanks girlfriend for unconditional support as he pursues MMA dream
Every professional athlete needs strong and supportive people around them and that's something that Adrian Lee has in abundance.
Being dedicated to an individual pursuit is key but this kind of personal success isn't possible without others playing their parts also.
The life of a mixed martial artist comes with some complications between the long hours of training, resting, and then doing it all over again the next day.
It requires sacrifice and a degree of selfishness that not everyone is going to totally understand or engage with.
This isn't a problem for lightweight MMA prospect Lee who not only has his fighting family behind him but also his girlfriend who is always by his side.
After meeting several years ago as high school sweethearts, they know each other well at this stage and Lee's better half is on this journey with him.
Ahead of his return at ONE 168 in just a few weeks time, Lee spoke in an interview with ONE Championship about what it's like to have her in his life:
"I'm very grateful to have her because she's very supportive, and she understands the fight game and what it takes to get into it."
The 18-year-old added that his girlfriend is able to see things through his perspective:
"She understands the balance and why sometimes I have to put more into MMA or the other way around."
Adrian Lee has put in the time and effort
With his loved ones being there to support him in this journey, Adrian Lee has a lot of potential in his MMA career.
The exciting prospect is already off to a strong start in his pro career after securing a debut win at ONE 167 where he submitted Antonio Mammarella.
His next outing sees him fight in the United States for the first time as ONE Championship returns to Denver on September 6.
Nico Cornejo awaits him in the Ball Arena at ONE 168 where Lee will look to add another win to his name.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.