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Christian Lee cannot wait to resume his journey on the global stage of ONE Championship this year.
'The Warrior,' who took a couple of years off to grieve and spend time with his loved ones following the tragic passing of his youngest sister, Victoria Lee, on Boxing Day 2022, returned to the promotional fold in December last year.
Unfortunately, his comeback fight came to a sudden halt after he unintentionally caught Alibeg Rasulov in the eye during their ONE lightweight MMA world title tilt inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
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That said, the 26-year-old looked like he never missed a beat until the match-ending moment, and he cannot wait to get a taste of action in the shortest time possible.
During an appearance on the ONE 172 pre-show in Saitama, Japan, Christian Lee admitted he's spent the past few months staying in shape in the hope of defending his 185-pound world title next:
"For me, I'm just trying to stay ready, and I'm really getting excited for the welterweight division."
Lee spent the past week in 'The Land of the Rising Sun' to accompany and corner his younger brother, Adrian, at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23.
The younger Lee racked up his third successive submission finish against Takeharu Ogawa in their lightweight MMA duel. 'The Phenom' also bagged another US$50,000 performance bonus for his performance inside the Saitama Super Arena.
Watch the full interview here:
Christian Lee has one name in mind for welterweight title defense
When asked about a potential opponent for the first defense of his welterweight crown, Christian Lee revealed that his radar is locked on former divisional king Zebaztian Kadestam.
In a separate interview with the South China Morning Post, the Evolve MMA and Prodigy Training Center affiliate shared:
"When I look at the welterweight division right now, I think Zebaztian Kadestam is definitely a worthy opponent. He just knocked out Roberto Soldic, he’s a former champion."
Lee, however, went on to add that he'll be happy to face anyone else if a duel against the Swedish powerhouse fails to materialize.
He continued:
"We’ll see what ONE Championship says, what they throw at me, and I’ll be training for everybody."
