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Two-division MMA world champion Christian Lee doesn't blame Alibeg Rasulov for not forcing himself to continue to fight during their main event clash at ONE Fight Night 26 over the weekend.
The supposed five-round clash for the ONE lightweight MMA world title came to an abrupt end in round 2, when Lee inadvertently poked the challenger's right eye, rendering him unable to continue.
While 'The Warrior' wishes the fight could have pushed through, he has no ill will towards Rasulov or the officials' decision to rule the match a no-contest.
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The Singaporean-American superstar told Nick Atkin of the Bangkok Post during his post-event interview:
"It's unfortunate. I apologize of course to my opponent, Alibeg. I saw the instant replay, there was an eye poke, and if he felt he couldn’t continue, then that was the smart decision for him. I'm just disappointed I couldn't get the finish for everyone."
To be fair, Christian Lee was getting the better of Rasulov in their striking and grappling exchanges before the accidental eye poke.
The Evolve MMA and Prodigy Training affiliate tagged the undefeated Russian in round 1 and momentarily secured a takedown in the ensuing round.
The full replay of ONE Fight Night 26 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Christian Lee reveals it was his plan to beat Alibeg Rasulov at his own game
Alibeg Rasulov's first 14 career opponents had no answer for his relentless Dagestani-style pressure wrestling.
Instead of going on the defensive, Christian Lee decided to counter his challenger's best attribute by taking him head-on.
'The Warrior' surprised the Hyperion Fighters affiliate when he initiated a takedown and clinch exchange to put Rasulov on his heels.
With the Turkish fighter worried about being taken down, Lee was able to let his hands go, which was his game plan all along. He told Nick Atkin:
"Not surprised because I was able to shut his wrestling down by putting the pressure on him and then going for the takedown first."
Watch Christian Lee's full interview:
