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Reigning ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA world champion Christian Lee is expected to end his hiatus later this year and return to the circle to defend his two massive golden belts. The 25-year-old superstar is just waiting for the next rightful contender to emerge.
Christian Lee, of course, was a proud cornerman to his younger brother Adrian last weekend, who made a successful MMA debut at ONE 167.
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He also caught up with the South China Morning Post's Andrew Whitelaw, discussing the two weight classes he lords over. Lee said:
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"I'm very grateful that I've been given time off. However, there haven't been any clear contenders in the lightweight and welterweight divisions."
'The Warrior' continued:
"Although I've been out of the game I don't feel like there's anyone knocking at the door. I'm grateful but I'm also looking forward to seeing who comes out as a clear contender for both divisions."
By the looks of it, the upcoming lightweight MMA tiff at ONE Fight Night 23 on July 5 will likely determine the next challenger at 170 pounds. Former world champion Ok Rae Yoon, who has a history with Lee, will take on undefeated Turkish star Alibeg Rasulov.
Meanwhile, former welterweight kingpin Zebaztian Kadestam is on a three-fight knockout streak, including a sensational come-from-behind finish over Roberto Soldic in his last outing.
'The Bandit' will certainly pose an intriguing challenge for Lee.
Christian Lee feels refreshed after much-needed time away from MMA
After dealing with a family tragedy, Lee opted to take a break from mixed martial arts. Now, he's itching to return and do what he does best in the world's largest martial arts organization.
In the same SCMP MMA interview, the Singaporean-American athlete said that his time away from the game reignited the fire inside him:
"It’s been important to take some time off. Just coming back refreshed with a fresh start and just being able to go out there and focus on the goal."
Watch Christian Lee's full interview:
