“I just want to give back” - Teen phenom Adrian Lee has big dreams to help the next generation of warriors when he retires

Once his mixed martial arts career is in the books, Adrian Lee plans on giving back to his community as a full-time coach for kids. Of course, it'll be a long time before we see the 18-year-old phenom hang up his gloves. At least, we hope it will be.

In June, Lee made his successful promotional debut in Bangkok as part of a loaded ONE 167 card in Impact Arena. There, Lee scored a second-round submission victory over Italy's Antonio Mammarella.

On Friday, September 6, he'll look for win number two when he meets newcomer Nico Cornejo at ONE 168: Denver.

During a recent interview with ESPN Honolulu, Adrian Lee flashed forward to the day his MMA career comes to an end, revealing that in his twilight years, he hopes to help mold the next generation of combat sports superstars.

"After my MMA career, I just want to be a full-time coach," Lee said. "I just want to give back to the kids."

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Nico Cornejo plans on taking it all in against Adrian Lee at ONE 168: Denver

Hoping to spoil Adrian Lee's sophomore appearance inside the Circle is Nico Cornejo, a Colorado native who enters the biggest fight of his career with home-field advantage and something to prove on martial arts' biggest global stage.

"This is the biggest stage of my life so far," Cornejo told MMA UK. "So I'm gonna soak everything in, take nothing for granted, and just go with it, show the world who Nico Cornejo is."

Thus far, 'The Steel City Kid' is perfect in his mixed martial arts career, going 5-0 as an amateur before making the move to pro in 2023. Since then, he's added back-to-back knockouts to his resume on the regional scene in Colorado.

Will Cornejo score the biggest win of his career in The Centennial State, or will Lee continue to climb from prospect to superstar?

Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.