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Christian Lee promises he won't make fight fans wait another two years to see him back inside the Circle.
After a lengthy 25-month absence from the fight game, 'The Warrior' made his return to action at ONE Fight Night 26 for a lightweight MMA title clash against undefeated Dagestani wrestler Alibeg Rasulov.
Following an entertaining opening round, their scrap came to a crashing halt with 10 seconds left in the second round after Lee inadvertently poked Rasulov in the eye during an exchange. With Rasulov unable to continue, the bout was called off and ruled a no-contest.
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Presumably, ONE Championship will rebook Lee vs. Rasulov for sometime in 2025. On being asked about a potential timeline for his return to the ring by Mitch Chilson, Lee said:
"We’ll see. I'd like to first take a little break. I was planning this fight because I have my third baby on the way, another son, so my wife and I were getting ready for that. And in the New Year, I'll be back in action in the ring or in the cage."
Christian Lee leaves door open for welterweight title defense in 2025
Aside from being the ONE lightweight MMA world champion, Christian Lee is also king of the promotion's welterweight MMA division.
Speaking with the press following his ONE Fight Night 26 headliner, Lee made it clear that while he's open to an immediate rematch with Rasulov, he has another belt to defend:
"Other than Rasulov, there are a lot of other great fighters out here in ONE Championship and you know, I think in the welterweight division, there’s a clear contender who’s in line for the shot".
"So we’ll see what ONE Championship’s plans are for me but I’ll be ready to defend the lightweight or welterweight belt in the future."
Do you want to see Lee run back his scrap with Rasulov right away, or should 'The Warrior' look to defend his welterweight title next?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 26 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.
