Adrian Lee targets first-round finish in sophomore appearance at ONE 168: Denver

Adrian Lee seeks to turn heads again in his second outing under the ONE Championship banner.  

The 18-year-old prospect locks horns with Nico Cornejo in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE 168: Denver on Friday, September 6, at Ball Arena. 

His professional MMA debut this past June was nothing short of spectacular. With high expectations swirling around him, the youngest member of the Lee fighting family did not disappoint.  

He delivered a performance that lived up to the hype by authoring a second-round submission victory over Antonio Mammarella. 

As Lee prepares for his bout against Cornejo, he remains focused on maintaining his impressive trajectory. 

“The biggest thing I want out of this fight is just to get in there and really make a statement and to show, especially the American fans, how exciting ONE Championship really is,” he said. 

“The Phenom” is far from content with merely making a good impression. Instead, he is focused on not just showcasing his skills but securing another emphatic win. 

“I plan on finishing it first round, either TKO, KO, or submission, whatever comes first,” Lee said. 

Adrian Lee plans to dominate Nico Cornejo

However, Adrian Lee knows that Nico Cornejo will provide a formidable challenge. 

“The Steel City Kid” has been making waves in the state of Colorado’s well-entrenched MMA scene. 

Despite his wrestling background, his growing proficiency in the standup department was highlighted in his first two professional outings.

In fact, he won those two matches by way of knockout. 

Understanding the complexities of this matchup, the Hawaiian and his team at Prodigy Training Center have been meticulously preparing for every scenario. 

“I saw that [Cornejo] is a hard hitter and that he has a pretty good wrestling game, even though he doesn’t have any specific wrestling accolades. Our camp will definitely be centered around countering that,” Lee said. 

Against Cornejo, Lee is eager to display the full extent of his skill set. 

“I plan to bring into this fight how well-rounded I really am,” he said. “I plan to show more of my striking, more of my grappling, and more of my wrestling in this fight compared to my last.”