3 reasons why Ok Rae Yoon has Christian Lee's number

Ok Rae Yoon built a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in ONE Championship, and that notoriety was put to the ultimate test when he challenged and defeated Christian Lee for the ONE lightweight world title.

The South Korean star proved to be an indomitable force despite Lee’s attempts for a highlight-reel finish in their world title match at ONE: Revolution in September 2021.

Lee is the most prolific finisher in ONE Championship, with his mark of 14 finishes being the most in the organization. Those credentials, however, held no weight against Ok, who seemed to have Lee in his pocket throughout their five-round match.

Ok will put his reputation to the test once again when he defends the ONE lightweight world title against Lee in the main event of ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II. The event is set for this Friday and will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

That said, here are three reasons why Ok Rae Yoon has Christian Lee’s number.

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#3. Ok Rae Yoon’s otherworldly resiliency and iron chin

In just three fights, Ok Rae Yoon established himself as among the hardest fighters to be put down and he proved that against absolute killers in Marat Gafurov, Eddie Alvarez, and Lee.

Gafurov, who holds seven submission wins in ONE Championship, was frustrated with Ok’s defense, while former UFC and Bellator world champion Eddie Alvarez found no answer to the South Korean star’s overall toughness and grit.

Alvarez was even on the receiving end of Ok’s offense during their match at ONE on TNT IV in April 2021.

Then there was Lee, who could not solve the puzzle that was Ok during their match. Ok was neither a volume striker nor an aggressive grappler, but what he had were a near-invincible chin and limitless endurance.

Lee tagged Ok with some of the harshest punches he ever threw in his career, but the Team Mad fighter seemed to just shrug it off and get back up as if nothing happened. Ok was even slapped with a tight standing choke, but all that happened was Lee losing his grip and absorbing a couple of knee strikes.

While other fighters would easily succumb to Lee’s striking power, Ok was indomitable in his guard and showed an innate ability to recover from whatever punishment he absorbed.

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#2. Size and strength advantage

Technique is an integral aspect of mixed martial arts, but brute strength is also one of those traits that fighters can always rely on in the most difficult of situations. Ok Rae Yoon, for his part, uses both with great efficiency.

The 2021 fight between the two saw Ok completely overpower Lee in the grappling exchanges, forcing the Singaporean-American star to the brink of exhaustion during the five-rounder. It was at this point where Ok, who was relatively fresher, would counter with his striking.

The 6-foot lightweight king stands a bit taller than the 5-foot-11 Lee, giving him an obvious physical advantage during their exchanges. Ok also has a wider frame which prevented Lee from imposing his wrestling game during their first world title fight.

‘The Warrior’ has an exceptional ground-and-pound game, but with Ok staying on his feet for much of the contest, it ultimately negated one of Lee’s best weapons.

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#1. Ability to grind - Ok's not a finisher, but he can win fights

Ok Rae Yoon was neither a knockout machine nor a submission expert, but the non-finisher does one thing that gets the job done. What the 6-foot South Korean star does best is grinding and frustrating his opponents by any means necessary.

The Team Mad fighter moves on a methodical pace and would only go on an offensive assault once he sees his opponent struggling for air. A prime example of this was seen in his last match with Lee.

Ok expertly used the circle wall to tire out Lee and then exploded for a couple of accurate strikes to score some important hits.

Lee never changed his pace during the fight, allowing Ok to just put him in control especially when they grappled near the fence.

While casual observers may see Ok stalling, what he does is tactically take the air out of his opponents, which allows him to employ his careful offensive approach.