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ONE debutant Nico Cornejo believes that persistence and dedication trumps talent any day of the week.
The American standout is on a collision course to Denver, Colorado, to face teenage phenom Adrian Lee at ONE 168: Denver, which is scheduled to place at the Ball Arena on September 6.
Heading into this fight, Cornejo knows what kind of star power he's up against this month. Adrian Lee and his family are very prominent figures in the MMA circuit, stemming from Lee's older siblings, Angela Lee and Christian Lee, who are ONE world champions.
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But despite being less known, 'The Steel City Kid' hopes to use the sense of mystery surrounding his abilities to his advantage, especially when they have come into question.
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Noting the differences he and Lee share, Cornejo told ONE:
"When you come from a family like [the Lees] that's dedicated to the fighting organization that they've come up to, you can have all the accomplishments in the world, but I'll tell you one thing - my grind, and my relentlessness, and my dedication, and my heart that I give each and every fight outweighs talent."
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.
Nico Cornejo calls ONE 168: Denver: "This is one of the biggest stages of my life"
It wasn't so long ago that Nico Cornejo fought in his last MMA fight outside of ONE Championship.
The 35-year-old finisher caught the attention of ONE's matchmakers due to his unrelenting spirit and dedication to his craft. With a perfect record so far, both pro and amateur, Cornejo hopes to keep the momentum going in the largest martial arts organization in the world.
Sharing how feels about fighting in Denver against Adrian Lee, Cornejo told 9News:
"I feel good. This is a bigger stage than I'm used to, you know, Ball Arena, September 6. And this is one of the stages of my life, so far, and I'm excited, you know, a little bit of nerves, which is, you know, is natural, but I'm excited, I'm so stoked."
