“Our ancestors are Vikings” - American Muay Thai star Luke Lessei shares where his unyielding attitude comes from

Luke Lessei credits his never-give-up attitude to his father, his grandfather, and their Viking ancestors. 'The Chef' climbed back into the win column in a big way at ONE Fight Night 27, scoring a destructive first-round knockout against Canadian newcomer Cody Jerome.

It was a big victory for Lessei who secured his spot as the fifth-ranked contender in the featherweight Muay Thai division with the finish.

Speaking with Mitch Chilson immediately following his eighth career win inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Lessei spoke about his unwavering warrior spirit and who instilled it in him.

"First of all, I just want to give a shoutout to my dad," Lessei said. "The warrior spirit came from him, my grandpa, my family name. Our ancestors are Vikings, you guys have seen that from my last three fights — we never give up."

Lessei is now 2-2 under the ONE Championship banner. The Dubuque, Iowa native is 8-2 in his Muay Thai career.

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Luke Lessei was floored by $50,000 bonus at ONE Fight Night 27

It's been a tough road for Luke Lessei in recent years, but the 28-year-old earned himself a life-changing check at ONE Fight Night 27.

During his in-ring interview, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded 'The Chef' a $50,000 bonus for his lights-out performance against Jerome.

It was an emotional moment — one that Lessei was still trying to wrap his head around during the post-fight press conference.

"I don't even know. I've never seen that much money in my life before," Lessei said. "Yeah, I got two kids back home in Iowa, so it's gonna put a lot of food on their table, you know. And my daughter's birthday is next month, so I'm definitely gonna give her a good birthday, yeah, but shout out Vivian, shout out Bear."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 27 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.