“It’s like falling in love with Muay Thai” - Luke Lessei says carrying his hometown and having kids brought his motivation back

American Muay Thai rising star Luke Lessei is now locked in for his debut in ONE Championship as he is set to meet Jo Nattawut in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 17 on December 8 inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

But before he officially showcased his talent on the global stage, he shared that his motivation for Muay Thai was rekindled because he was able to discover the two main inspirations that keep him going as a professional athlete.

In an interview with ONE Championship before his highly anticipated debut, the 27-year-old explained how his roots and fatherhood have ignited more fire in his career. He also said that getting recognized by the world’s largest martial arts organization motivated him more.

He said:

“The small-town motivation definitely is there. But because I've been doing it for so long, motivation, obviously, isn't there all the time. So I guess, I didn't have motivation for a long time. And it just came back because I had my daughter. And then I had my son, I became a father, I start seeing the light of where I could go in Muay Thai, I started getting noticed by ONE, and then I started falling in love with it again.”

Due to the discovery of his main motivations, the Dubuque Martial Arts Group representative feels like he is falling in love with the art of eight limbs like he did when he was just starting out, as he added:

“So it's kind of cool how I had no motivation for all these years, just discipline. And then eventually the motivation comes back because you start getting blessings. So it's like falling in love with Muay Thai all over again, when you finally start to make it.”

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Luke Lessei has to reach a full circle in his career in upcoming fight with Jo Nattawut

Ahead of his fight with ‘Smokin’’ Jo, Lessei is not only looking to get a spectacular knockout victory, but he is also looking forward to the surreal feeling that comes with fighting one of his idols growing up.

Lessei admitted that he idolizes the Thai superstar, and he even watched his fights back when he was just in high school. Despite his admiration for Nattawut, the rising star will still go all-out to eke out a victory against him.

ONE Fight Night 17 takes place this Friday, December 8, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. The entire card is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.