“That’s how we play catch” – Luke Lessei says his childhood memories consist of him and his dad sparring

ONE debutant Luke Lessei spent much of his younger years training in his father’s gym in Iowa..

‘The Chef’ shared that he made sure that it was time well spent in preparing him for an eventual career in martial arts.

Speaking to KCRG.com, 27-year-old Lessei recalled his humble beginnings in combat sports and the bond that was formed between him and his father, who also used to compete.

He said:

“That’s how we play catch, me and my dad punch.He’s been running this gym in the same spot. Most of my childhood memories are in this gym.”

Luke Lessei is seeking to take his career to another level when he makes his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video on December 8 in Bangkok, Thailand.

His opponent will be Thai veteran ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut, who is out to give him a rude welcome while also gunning for a victory to put a halt to an ongoing skid.

For his debut, Lessei will be banking on his experience competing in various tournaments in different parts of the world, including the World Muay Thai Championships and the Triumph Muay Thai Tournament, where he made a name for himself with his dynamic style.

ONE Fight Night 17 is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America and will be broadcast live in US primetime.

---

Luke Lessei out to show why he is called the 'The Chef' in ONE debut

Luke Lessei is known in the fight game as ‘The Chef’ for his ability to mix things up and present different looks to his opponents when he competes. It is something he is looking to showcase when he makes his ONE debut next week.

While he knows that he is up against a formidable opponent in Nattawut, Luke Lessei is nonetheless confident that his versatility will present a challenge to his opponent.

He told onefc.com in an interview:

“I’m ‘The Chef,’ so I mix it up as much as I can. And I think that’s gonna play a huge factor because when you’re getting all this information thrown at you – and this goes for anybody – it’s gonna be hard to handle.”

ONE Fight Night 17 is headlined by the showdown between light heavyweight kickboxing world champion Roman Kryklia of Ukraine and Alex Roberts of Australia.