Subscribe
Follow Us
Christian “The Warrior” Lee is the current Lightweight champion in the One Championship fighting league. He faces off against Rae Yoon Ok, who is dangerous in his own right. This is Lee’s fourth title defense since becoming the champion back in 2019. The 23-year-old is ecstatic for his bout on Sept. 24. You can find all of the details to watch the main event for One Championship Revolution RIGHT HERE.
The current Lightweight champion stems from the historic Lee family, who is incredibly well-known in the MMA world. Not only is he a champion, but his older sister, Angela Lee, is the current Atomweight champion in One Championship as well. Additionally, their youngest sister, Victoria Lee, is making her third professional appearance on Friday at just 17 years old.
During my interview with Christian Lee, we go over how he’s preparing for his championship bout, how he maintains his focus at such a young age, and how his family has given him the tools to succeed.
One Championship Revolution Interview
Throughout the interview, it was easy to tell that Christian Lee is a seasoned fighter, even at the young age of 23. He has been training in mixed martial arts since he was a small child. With both of his parents being black belts and world-class MMA specialists in their own right, Lee’s entire life has revolved around MMA. It’s no wonder he has achieved so many awards before earning the Lightweight belt in One Championship.
He is ready for his championship bout on Friday where he takes on Rae Yoon Ok, who is another solid prospect looking to make his mark. Going into his fourth title defense, I asked Lee if he was doing anything differently to prepare for his next opponent.
Christian Lee: “Nothing different. Ok is a good fighter. He’s well-rounded. So just knowing that we’ve made sure to cover my whole game. Preparing my kickboxing, mixing up the range, understanding the distance between me and my opponent. I feel confident in what I can do and I believe this is a good matchup, but I feel like I’m prepared and ready for the fight.”
Lee doesn’t lack any confidence, and for good reason. A quick Google search will lead you to his many awards and achievements he has earned through different MMA tournaments over time, most of which he won during his teen years. It’s insanely impressive how “The Warrior” can keep his composure at such a young age.
Benedetto Vitale: “I know Ok tends to go the distance. Is that something you’re preparing for?”
Lee: “I’m definitely ready to go five rounds if need be. But I don’t see that happening. I think it’s more likely this fight ends early.”
Vitale: “At 23 years old, you have an impressive track record. How do you keep yourself mentally focused, or just focused on the goal?”
Lee: “Well, the way that I keep myself focused is I never put an end goal on what I want to achieve in this sport. You know? I think a big problem is that these fighters, their end goal is to get the belt. And when they achieve that, they really don’t have the same motivation they had when they were on their way to the top. For me, winning the world title was just the beginning. I’ve been more focused, more determined than ever since winning the belt. I feel that the reason I’m continuing to grow as a fighter, as a champion, is because I never put that limit or that cap on my abilities. And I’m always striving to be better.”
His mindset is bulletproof, and most of that can be attributed to his family.
Vitale: “Your family is well-known in the MMA world and One Championship. So how has that helped you out with your development as a fighter?”
Lee: It definitely helps to have a family of mixed martial artists. You know, growing up, my siblings and I, all grew up training in martial arts. It was sort of a part of our day-to-day lives. Going to the gym and training. So, you know, when you’ve done something your whole life it just becomes second nature to you. So making that transition from being just a normal kid training every day to being a professional mixed martial artist that trains for a living. It was actually a really smooth transition because growing up, our family really pushed us to train in martial arts. It just wasn’t anything new when we became professional fighters. We already knew that training was a part of our life.”
Vitale: “Since we’re on the subject of family, how excited are you to have Victoria on the same card as you?”
Lee: “I’m very excited to have my little sister competing on the same card as me. You know this is going to be the first time the two of us are fighting on the same card. Victoria’s looked great in her first two fights, and I have absolute confidence that going into her third fight she’s going to get another finish over her opponent. She is extremely talented. I’m just so excited for what her future has in store because her skills are just on another level and once she gets that experience under her belt, I really feel that she’s going to be the next Atomweight champion after my sister (Angela) decides to vacate the belt.”
After going over his mindset and how much of an impact his family has had on his fight career, it was time to ask Lee about his thoughts on how he thinks his title fight will play out.
Vitale: “You’re going up against a tough opponent (Rae Yoon OK). It’s going to be electric and I’m really excited about it. How do you see this fight end?”
Lee: “I see this fight ending in the first round. I think that I'm going to hurt Ok, and I think I’m going to take him down and submit him within the opening five (minutes).”
“The Warrior” is known as a finisher in the MMA world. 14 of his 15 wins have come from an early stoppage, whether it was by KO/TKO or submission. There’s no reason why he should expect anything else in his fourth title defense against Rae Yoon Ok. Make sure to tune into the main event on Sept. 24. You can find all of the viewing information RIGHT HERE.
