Two-division king Christian Lee set to defend lightweight crown vs Alibeg Rasulov at ONE 169: Atlanta

Christian Lee's hotly-anticipated return to the global stage of ONE Championship is now confirmed. The two-division MMA world champion collides against Alibeg Rasulov at ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8.

'The Warrior' – who sits atop the lightweight and welterweight division – puts his 170-pound belt on the line versus the Turkish dynamo on a card that features two additional battles for ONE gold.

The Prodigy Training Center and Evolve MMA athlete last competed when he attained two-division glory against Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE on Prime Video 4 in November 2022. He took a step back from competition following the tragic loss of his younger sister, Victoria, on Boxing Day that year.

However, late last year, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed that Christian will return to defend his thrones at a future date.

With one of two potential world title matchups now locked, Christian Lee is ready to do what he does best when he straps on the four-ounce gloves for the 22nd time in his career inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 26-year-old's resume under the ONE banner has been nothing short of impressive. He owns the most wins (17) and finishes (16) in the promotion's history.

Moreover, all his triumphs have come against genuine contenders and legends of the sport, Shinya Aoki, Kotetsu Boku, Kazunori Yokota, Martin Nguyen, and Ok Rae Yoon.

Rasulov will be another tough assignment for the young megastar, but it's nothing new for the Hawaii-based fighter who should be at the best of his abilities in this upcoming ONE lightweight MMA world title tilt.

Christian Lee never fails to leave an impression, and that can be guaranteed when he meets the Dagestani-born grappling sensation, who heads into this contest off a stellar debut win over Ok at ONE Fight Night 23.

The Hyperion Fighters athlete bested the South Korean slugger across five rounds in their ONE interim lightweight MMA clash inside the Lumpinee Stadium two weeks back.

Though he passed hydration and made the 170-pound limit, he was, unfortunately, ineligible to win the 26 pounds of gold on offer as he did so only after the official time window closed on weigh-in day.

Now, he has a chance to right those mistakes against one of the best athletes on the promotional roster, Christian Lee.

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Christian Lee vs Alibeg Rasulov joins a star-studded cast in Atlanta

Besides Christian Lee and Alibeg Rasulov's scrap, the world's largest martial arts organization's third on-ground card in the United States sees a pair of firefight world title fixtures.

Tawanchai PK Saenchai and 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut renew their rivalry on the global stage for a third time, with the former putting his ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title on the line.

The pair last met at ONE 167 this past June, where the divisional king claimed a majority decision win over the Atlanta-based superstar.

In addition, Anatoly Malykhin and 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane go toe-to-toe in a clash to determine the ONE heavyweight MMA king. 'Sladkiy' is a perfect 14-0 in his career, and he's out to defend his status as a three-division conqueror at the State Farm Arena.

Follow this link to purchase tickets for ONE 169: Atlanta. The card broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on November 8.