Christian Lee eyeing quick finish in return at ONE Fight Night 26 

After 24 months away from action, two-weight ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee is looking to make up for lost time when he returns at ONE Fight Night 26.  

The Singaporean-American defends his lightweight MMA belt against undefeated Alibeg Rasulov at the top of the bill on Friday, December 6, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

Remarkably, Lee holds the record for the most finishes in ONE Championship with eight in total. And that’s a record “The Warrior” hopes to improve when he steps back in the ring.  

“Like always, my goal is to go out there and get a first-round finish,” Lee said.  

“I think I could take him down and submit him in one round, and that’s not to be cocky at all. I trust in the training that I put in the last two years.” 

In a sport that moves as fast as MMA, ring rust can be detrimental to a returning champion’s reign. Many fans would love to see Lee return triumphantly, but that isn’t always the reality.   

That said, Lee believes the effort he has put in ahead of time will allow him to pick up where he left off.  

“I feel like a much better fighter now, today, than the last time I [competed],” Lee said.  

“I wasn’t just taking the last two years off, resting. I’ve been training harder than ever, and I feel like I’m in the best shape that I’ve ever been in physically and mentally.”

Christian Lee looking to get the ball rolling for 2025

After a long hiatus, Christian Lee wants 2025 to be a big year. And the best way for him to get momentum flowing is to emphasize his end to 2024. 

The reigning ONE lightweight and welterweight MMA king is only 26 years old, and he has all the time in the world ahead of him.  

But Alibeg Rasulov has the opportunity to ruin Lee’s homecoming party, so “The Warrior” will have hands full when he returns at ONE Fight Night 26.