"I could have performed better" - Christian Lee shuts down 'ring rust' concerns after his ONE Fight Night 26

Two-division ONE MMA world champion Christian Lee addressed the fans who were concerned about his conditioning after competing for the first time in two years in the main event of ONE Fight Night 26 last Friday, Dec. 6.

Lee was asked in the post-fight interview whether he felt any ring rust following his lightweight MMA world title defense against Alibeg Rasulov. He replied:

"No, I don't think I felt any ring rust. I do feel like I could have performed better, which I always do after every fight, but I do feel I was 100 percent on track to getting the finish there."

After being away from the circle since December 2022 following the tragic passing of his youngest sister Victoria Lee, 'The Warrior' sought to honor her memory by defending the lightweight MMA crown against Alibeg Rasulov at ONE Fight Night 26.

Lee and the undefeated Turkish standout were on equal ground for most of the bout thanks to their crisp striking abilities. However, their world title clash ended in a no-contest late in the second round after an accidental eye poke from Lee, which left Rasulov unable to compete.

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Christian Lee looked great against Alibeg Rasulov

Christian Lee backed up his statements of not feeling any ring rust as he flaunted the vast arsenal that allowed him to conquer the lightweight and welterweight MMA divisions.

Lee kept Alibeg Rasulov on his toes by enacting a game plan centered around preventing him from employing his wrestling abilities while also dealing damage with his hands.

Though Lee, Rasulov, and ONE fans did not want the fight to end the way it did, the 26-year-old proved that his layoff had not diminished his abilities.

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE Fight Night 26 on demand.