Ok Rae Yoon named ONE Championship's 2021 Male Fighter of the Year

To say that Ok Rae Yoon's rise in ONE Championship may be an understatement.

Since his arrival in ONE Championship in 2021, the South Korean has defeated some of the biggest names in the lightweight division and now reigns as the ONE lightweight world champion.

Today, it was announced that Ok Rae Yoon has been named as ONE's 2021 Male MMA Fighter of the Year.

No one had a better year than the 30-year-old ONE Championship rookie.

First, he defeated a former world champion in Marat Gafurov by defending against the Russian's takedowns and later asserting his striking dominance. This resulted in Ok Rae Yoon blasting into the division's top five rankings.

Next, he dropped global MMA superstar Eddie Alvarez in the first round of their encounter and forced 'The Underground King' to unsuccessfully take him down through the next two rounds. Ok Rae Yoon managed to deal enough damage to his opponent to claim the unanimous decision win.

The caliber of fighters he defeated was high enough to earn him a surprising world title shot in just his third match in the promotion. Titleholder Christian Lee was not one to back down from any challenge. Ok Rae Yoon had a golden opportunity, which he clearly did not waste.

From newcomer to world champion in a span of three bouts in one year, Ok Rae Yoon is a deserving winner of the award.

---

Ok Rae Yoon's reign is questioned by Christian Lee

Ok Rae Yoon's wins in ONE Championship got bigger as he continued to make his name in the promotion. However, none was bigger than his upset victory over Christian Lee for the ONE lightweight world title.

The two figured in an all-out war through five rounds of action in a fight that could have gone either way. Ultimately, the battle was won by Ok Rae Yoon via unanimous decision - a result that 'The Warrior' completely disagreed with.

After the match, Lee had some scathing words appealing for a review of the result and claiming that he is still the world champion.

However, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong later announced that the decision was upheld after an official review of the match despite his personal belief that Lee had won the fight.

While Ok Rae Yoon's 2021 is a dream run, he may not yet feel the legitimacy of his world title reign until he defeats Christian Lee convincingly.

Can Ok Rae Yoon replicate this magical year in 2022 starting with a rematch with Christian Lee? Only time will tell.