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American Muay Thai fighter Luke Lessei gets his first win on ONE Championship by proving yet again that he's one of the most exciting blood-and-guts warriors in the sport. At ONE Fight Night 19 last weekend, 'The Chef' went on a war with attrition with fellow American fighter Eddie 'Silky Smooth' Abasolo.
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Their three-round Muay Thai war tore the roof off inside the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Once the final bell rang, both warriors wore crimson masks while their legs were riddled with bruises. Lessei and Abasolo threw everything but the kitchen sink from start to finish.
After gaining major momentum from dropping Abasolo in the second round, 'The Chef' had to overcome a scary knockdown himself after a left cross from 'Silky Smooth'.
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'The Chef' then cooked up another classic slugfest by springing back to life to win a close split-decision win.
On what went on inside his head when he was put on his backside in the second round. Luke Lessei told ONE:
“When I got caught, I wasn’t even thinking twice about what happened. The only thing on my mind was going back at him and trying to get the finish because I wanted this win so bad.”
Luke Lessei debuted in ONE Championship late last year at ONE Fight Night 17 and lost a close all-out war to Jo Nattawut. Despite the loss, the American warrior won the hearts of the fans that night. With a win last weekend, however, 'The Chef' has certified his right to cook in the ONE Championship kitchen.
Luke Lessei credits American Midwest mentality for resilience to get back after a knockdown
Luke Lessei, who was born in the American Midwest, credits his homegrown sense of toughness for his ability to take punishment and keep moving forward.
He told ONE:
“When I got dropped, I just got right back up, I didn’t even think twice so there wasn’t a whole lot of thought right there, I knew I needed to get right back into it and show that Midwest mentality and just bite down and keep going until the very end.”
The replay of ONE Fight Night 19 is available free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
