“Your average high schooler wasn't doing what I was doing” - Adrian Lee shares what it’s like balancing school and MMA career

Most high schoolers are busy juggling classes, homework, and social life. But for Adrian Lee, there was always something more - something a little different. While his classmates were hitting the books or hanging out after school, we has hitting the mats, sharpening his weapons at the gym.

"I can definitely say that your average high schooler wasn't doing what I was doing," Lee said in an interview with Story of the Fight. "But for me, it was kind of normal because ever since I was a kid, or like, three years old, I've always been training."

He added:

"So even when I was going to school, I was still training before or after school. So it's never really felt like anything different. And yeah, it was a fun experience, high school."

Adrian grew up immersed in martial arts as the youngest member of the famed Lee fighting family. This lifestyle wasn't unusual for him - it's just part of his everyday routine. Now, going into ONE 172, that foundation is already rock solid.

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"I can't really imagine myself doing anything" - MMA prodigy Adrian Lee says martial arts is part of his identity

Growing up in the gym, fighting is no longer just a lifestyle - it's who Adrian Lee is. The gym has been his second home for as long as he can remember. And now, while others his age figure out what they want to do in life, he's known all along.

"I can't really imagine myself doing anything but fighting," he said. "Because ever since my last memory, really, I've always been in the gym. if anything, if it wasn't fighting, it'd be some type of other combat sport, like wrestling, boxing, kickboxing."

The young fighter isn't just a fan of the sport - the sport is embedded in his core. His daily life revolves around combat:

"It would just have to be something to do with combat sports because that's all I know, really. The only thing I watch is fighting. I watch, like, grappling, wrestling, only combat sports."

It's rare for a teenager to have that kind of clarity, but for Adrian, it's always been straightforward. Fighting isn't a phase. It's the plan.

Watch the full interview below:

On March 23, Adrian Lee is stepping into the cage against ONE debutant Shozo Isojima at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang, which takes place in the Saitama Super Arena. Tickets are available here. Fans in Canada and North America can watch via PPV on watch.onefc.com.