MMA phenom Adrian Lee raced to another first-round submission victory in his most recent fight. However, he said it was not by design as he came in prepared to go the full route.
'The Phenom' was among the big winners at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. He defeated hometown bet Takeharu Ogawa by submission via anaconda choke in the opening round.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post following his victory, Lee, 19, shared his excitement over another quick finish but highlighted his readiness to go the full three rounds if it did go that route.
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The Prodigy Training Center standout said:
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"It felt so amazing. Even right now, it feels so surreal. I came in there prepared for war. I was ready to go the full three rounds if I had to. But I’m glad I finished it as fast as I did."
Watch the interview below:
The win at ONE 172 was the third straight in as many matches for Adrian Lee, who made his promotional debut in June last year.
He defeated Australian Antonio Mammarella in his maiden ONE outing by submission (rear-naked choke) and then followed it up with another opening-round submission (rear-naked choke) of American Nico Cornejo in September.
Lee also earned his third $50,000 performance bonus in a row from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong at ONE 172.
The replay of ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available at watch.onefc.com.
Adrian Lee shares gratification in finishing opponents by submission
The submission victory of Adrian Lee at ONE 172 was another up his alley and something he took a lot of gratification from.
He spoke about victories by submission in the lead-up to his most recent match, telling Story of the Fight in an interview:
"That's tough [to choose between a knockout finish or submission]. You know, they both feel so good. I'd say maybe the knockout, but it's kind of hard because with the submissions, like I've been grappling for so long. It's like they just feel so good getting a nice, quick catch. It's as good as it could go."
Before signing with ONE, Adrian Lee was a successful amateur fighter, becoming a four-time National Youth MMA champion and the Hawaii high school state wrestling champion in 2023.
