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Adrian Lee is "excited" to see how he matches up against Kade Ruotolo in a lightweight MMA showdown between rising superstars.
At ONE 172, Lee extended his ONE Championship record to 3-0 with his third consecutive submission win. The younger brother of Christian and Angela Lee continues to prove he has the potential to evolve into a world champion.
Lee, aged 19, has created similar success in the ONE lightweight MMA division as 22-year-old Kade Ruotolo. The reigning lightweight submission grappling world champion also holds a 3-0 promotional MMA record, all submission wins.
During the ONE 172 pre-show, Lee had this to say when asked about a potential MMA clash against Ruotolo:
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"I definitely think that right now, Kade is one of the biggest threats in the lightweight division. I’m excited to see how we line up in the future but I defintely want to stay really active this year and the next year and hopefully get a title shot coming in soon."
Adrian Lee has received three $50,000 performance bonuses for his consecutive submission wins against Antonio Mammarella (rear-naked choke), Nico Cornejo (rear-naked choke), and Takeharu Ogawa (anaconda choke).
Similar to Lee, Kade Ruotolo has earned a $50,000 performance bonus for each of his submission wins against Blake Cooper (rear-naked choke), Ahmed Mujtaba (d'arce choke), and Nicolas Vigna (arm-triangle choke).
Watch the ONE 172 pre-show featuring Adrian Lee's previously mentioned quote about fighting Kade Ruotolo below:
Adrian Lee and Kade Ruotolo racing to take over Christian Lee's lightweight throne
Christian Lee, the older brother of Adrian, is a reigning two-division MMA world champion in the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
'The Warrior' has continuously voiced his belief in Adrian being his successor as the ONE lightweight MMA king. The task will be easier said than done for the 19-year-old, especially considering Kade Ruotolo's evolution in the sport.
Firstly, Lee and Ruotolo are focused on gaining experience and continuously improving their overall fighting skills.
Ruotolo also has the added responsibility of defending his lightweight submission grappling world title. He holds a promotional record of 6-0 in the sport.
Watch Lee's latest submission win at ONE 172 below:
