“I wasn’t ever going to stop” - Luke Lessei says training with the bigger adult fighters as a kid ignited his competitive fire

Luke Lessei knew early on that there was always going to be a bigger and better fighter than him.

The American Muay Thai star revealed in an interview with ONE Championship that he faced the hard truth early on in his life when adult fighters began training at his father’s gym.

Lessei was already knocking out his contemporaries, but training with the bigger and more seasoned veterans made him realize that he had what it takes to jump on the professional circuit.

He said:

“Some grown men start coming in, MMA starts getting a little bit bigger, and now I’m getting beat up in my own gym a little bit. So it’s like… I wasn’t ever going to stop. But it’s like, ‘Okay, I have to be the best in my dad’s gym.’”

Fighting against grown men when he was a kid instilled a newfound confidence in Luke Lessei, and he’s used that attitude throughout the entirety of his professional career.

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Luke Lessei set for massive ONE Championship debut

Luke Lessei will get to test that confidence when he makes his ONE Championship debut this coming December in Thailand.

The 27-year-old will face the always aggressive ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 17 on December 8 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

‘The Chef’ will be thrown into the wolves’ den when he makes steps on the global stage against the Thai star.

Nattawut is a two-division Lion Fight Championship and WMC Muay Thai champion and has one of the most exciting striking styles in ONE Championship.

‘Smokin’ Jo is also coming off a highly entertaining showdown with ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai in his previous fight at ONE Fight Night 15.

ONE Fight Night 17 is ONE Championship’s 12th Amazon card of the year and is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.