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Christian Lee expects a "better version" of himself in his highly-anticipated return fight. In November 2022, Lee furthered his legacy in ONE Championship by capturing the welterweight MMA title, making him a two-division world champion.
Since then, the 26-year-old superstar has been sidelined to recover from the tragic passing of his younger sister, Victoria Lee, but he never considered officially retiring.
On November 8, 'The Warrior' will return to action and defend his lightweight MMA world title at ONE 169: Atlanta. Lee's upcoming opponent is undefeated Turkish contender Alibeg Rasulov, who defeated Ok Rae Yoon in his promotional debut.
Lee recently joined Cageside Press to discuss his showdown with Rasulov. The two-division MMA world champion had this to say about the matchup:
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"I think fans should expect a better version of the last Christian Lee that stepped in there, and it’s definitely going to be an exciting fight."
ONE 169 goes down inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tickets for the North American ONE Championship event, which has four world title fights scheduled at the moment, can be found on Ticketmaster.
Watch Christian Lee's entire interview with Cageside Press below:
Alibeg Rasulov looks to end Christian Lee's reign of terror
Alibeg Rasulov made his ONE Championship debut in July and immediately faced a tough test against former lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon.
Rasulov passed the challenge by utilizing a grappling-heavy game plan to counter Ok's striking skills, leading to a unanimous decision win.
Rasulov was supposed to become the interim lightweight MMA world champion by defeating Ok, but unfortunately, he missed weight for the ONE Fight Night 23 contest.
Nonetheless, the undefeated Turkish contender will have an opportunity to defeat Christain Lee and make a name for himself globally.
It'll be easier said than done for Rasulov. Lee's combination of experience, youth, and well-rounded skillset makes him one of the best MMA fighters on the planet.
Only time will tell if Lee can shake off his extended layoff and pick up right where he left off by handing Rasulov his first professional MMA loss.
