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ONE debutant Nico Cornejo is more than willing to go wherever Adrian Lee tries to take their fight.
After a successful first appearance inside the Circle at ONE 167 in June, Lee looks to make it two straight when he welcomes 'The Steel City Kid' to martial arts' biggest global stage on Friday, September 6.
It will be one of the many can't-miss matchups when ONE Championship heads back to the United States for ONE 168: Denver.
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Thus far, Nico Cornejo has stayed perfect in his mixed martial arts career, going 7-0 between amateur and professional bouts. To keep his 'O' intact, 'The Steel City Kid' knows he'll have to be ready to go toe-to-toe with Lee, whether it's on his feet or the mat.
“I’m gonna come out, I’m gonna match his hustle. My plan is to go out there, and if he wants to match striking for striking, we’ll match striking for striking. If he wants to wrestle, we’ll wrestle, too."
Nico Cornejo's journey into MMA has seen its fair share of bumps in the road
Nico Cornejo's journey into mixed martial arts has been difficult. Aside from being a teenage father, the Pueblo, Colorado native weighed upwards of 245 pounds at one point despite being 5'7" tall.
Over the years, Cornejo has lost an incredible 100 pounds and is now in the best shape of his life. Sharing some insight into his journey, Cornejo said:
"I had a lot of reserve left in me, and in 2019 is when I decided to make that journey into the MMA world. I’ve been rocking and rolling ever since. I’ve lost close to almost 100 pounds. My heaviest I got was 245 pounds."
He added:
"That much weight on a small stature like me, you know, that’s a lot. I was able to focus on my diet along with my boys."
Now, he'll look to take advantage of the biggest opportunity of his life against one of the biggest prospects in the sport today. Who leaves with their hand raised and their 'O' intact?
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.
