“I just needed some time off” - Christian Lee says stepping away from the fight game was necessary to cope

Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA world champion 'The Warrior' Christian Lee of the United States and Singapore says that retiring from mixed martial arts has never been an option for him.

He just simply needed to step away for a bit to breathe.

Lee last fought in November of 2022, when he defeated Kiamrian Abbasov to win welterweight gold and become a two-division world champ. A month later in that same year, his younger sister 'The Prodigy' Victoria Lee tragically took her own life.

That sent the entire Lee family into mourning, including Christian, who has been away from the ring for two years now.

Speaking as a guest star on The Brian Campbell Experience, 'The Warrior' explained why he has been gone for so long.

The Prodigy Training Center founder said:

"For me, I just needed some time off and away from everything. I closed my gym down. I wasn't thinking about anything close to fighting. But you know, when I came around, I was able to reopen my gym, open up Prodigy Training Center. Then I was able to get ready to go back to work."

Needless to say, fans can't wait to see Lee back in action, and they won't have to wait very long.

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Christian Lee to battle Turkish phenom Alibeg Rasulov at ONE Fight Night 26 on Prime Video

Two-division king, 'The Warrior' Christian Lee, is ready to stake the ONE lightweight MMA gold against undefeated Alibeg Rasulov of Turkey.

The two lock horns in the main event at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, December 6, from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.