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Former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon believes he is destined to meet Christian Lee for a third and perhaps final time.
That grudge match seems inevitable, especially if the South Korean gets his hand raised at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs Rasulov on Prime Video this coming July 5 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
After the injured Jackie Buntan bowed out of her supposed main event tiff against Anissa Meksen, Ok and Rasulov's pivotal clash has been elevated as the curtain closer, with the winner walking away with the interim lightweight MMA world title.
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For the redemption-seeking Ok Rae Yoon, this is more than just reclaiming 26 pounds of gold.
In an interview with ONE, the Team MAD standout said he is more determined than ever to settle the score with the lightweight MMA champ Lee in a possible unification match. Ok said:
"I really, really want to fight Christian Lee for a third time before I retire. I believe I must fight him before I call it a day. Although our last fight ended in a complete defeat for me, we're still 1-1."
The last time Ok shared the Circle with 'The Warrior', he found himself on the receiving end of a savage beating. Then again, he also scored perhaps the mother of all upsets when he dethroned Lee in their first encounter back in 2021.
By all means, a trilogy is needed to resolve this rivalry once and for all.
Christian Lee keeping a close eye on the ONE Fight Night 24 main event
As fans eagerly await the end of Christian Lee's MMA hiatus, crowning an interim champ is somewhat of a good sign for the 170-pound division.
The Singaporean-American superstar, for his part, knows the winner of the Ok Rae Yoon versus Alibeg Rasulov will be the fighter who welcomes him back to the Circle.
Lee said in a recent South China Morning Post interview:
"I think we got a clear contender with the Ok Rae Yoon and Alibeg matchup. Definitely, I think that's the No.1-ranked contender spot for the lightweight division. So, I'll be watching that closely."
ONE Fight Night 23 will air live in US Primetime free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.
