“A lot smarter just in everything” - Christian Lee talks about his evolution as a fighter

Christian Lee feels an overwhelming sense of confidence entering his rematch against ONE lightweight world champion Ok Rae Yoon at ONE 160, saying he’s grown a lot smarter as a fighter.

Lee and Ok are set to compete for the coveted lightweight world title at ONE 160 in Singapore on Friday, August 26.

Ahead of one of the most anticipated rematches this year, ‘The Warrior’ discussed his evolution as a fighter since making his promotional debut with ONE at age 17. Now, 24-years-old, Lee confessed he’s a much stronger fighter now compared to when he started.

Christian Lee said:

“Oh, yeah, absolutely. Definitely physically a lot stronger than I was back when I was 17. I'm a lot more mature, a lot smarter just in everything, in the way I approach my fights, in the way, I approach my training. So the time spent in this game has definitely paid off. And I feel in a much better place today than I was when I first started.”

Check out the full interview with Lee below:

A lot of ONE fans have grown up watching 'The Warrior' outperform competition ever since his debut at ONE: Spirit of Champions. Following his debut, the Pankration-style fighter finished opponents year after year with incredible skill and confidence. As his confidence grew, so did his following.

Following five consecutive finishes early on in his career, Lee experienced his first defeat at the hands of rising star Martin Nguyen via first-round guillotine choke at ONE: Heroes of the World.

The two met again for the featherweight world title belt, however, after five grueling rounds, ‘The Warrior’ experienced the second loss of his career.

Intent on training smarter, Lee’s efforts eventually bagged him a shot at lightweight gold at ONE: Enter the Dragon. In heroic style, Christian Lee beat Japanese legend Shinya Aoki via TKO, becoming the youngest person ever to win an MMA world championship title.

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Christian Lee puts training and experience to the test against Ok Rae Yoon in exciting lightweight rematch

After racking up his fighting experience over the years, Christian Lee will put everything he learned to the test against South Korean world champion Ok Rae Yoon.

With the help of his biggest support system, the Lee family, the 24-year-old phenom is halfway to the finish line. The other half to victory will depend on how well Lee responds to a vastly improved fighter in Ok Rae Yoon.

It’s been over 10 months since they last met inside the circle, with neither of them having fought during that time.

It will certainly be intriguing to witness how well these two fighters adapt inside the circle. Will ‘The Warrior’ learn from his mistakes and reclaim his throne with a convincing TKO finish, or will Ok Rae Yoon secure another victory with a stunning upset? Watch Christian Lee try to recapture the lightweight belt on Friday, August 26.