Luke Lessei eager to put Bampara Kouyate “to sleep” at ONE Fight Night 23

Luke Lessei has his sights on achieving an emphatic victory when he reports for duty at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video.

There, the #5-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender squares off with Bampara Kouyate in a three-round duel. This emanates live in U.S. primetime from the fabled Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 5.

“The Chef” brings a reputation as a dynamic and unorthodox striker who’s celebrated for his unique approach to Muay Thai.

Meanwhile, his opponent — Kouyate — boasts technical prowess, setting the stage for a clash of styles.

Given Kouyate’s background as a master technician, Lessei exudes confidence that he can outmaneuver the Frenchman in the ring.

“I’m going to beat the brakes off this dude. I’m going to go in there and show that there are absolutely levels to this creativity,” he said.

Reflecting on his strategy for the upcoming encounter, Lessei expressed his determination to leave nothing to chance.

“I always wanna make the decision on who wins and who loses. My decision, not the judges’. So I’m going for the knockout. Every single time, I’m going for the knockout whether I get it or not,” he said. 

“You best believe, even until the very end, I’m trying to set something up. I’m trying to put this dude to sleep for sure. And if not, guess what? It’s probably gonna be another barnburner.”

Luke Lessei looks to showcase a new dimension to his game

While Luke Lessei has demonstrated remarkable toughness in his first two outings under the ONE Championship banner, he is eager for the challenge of engaging in a more technical battle against Bampara Kouyate.

“I’m hoping every fight gets a little more technical because then I can show my actual flight IQ and my skills,” he said. 

“My last few fights, I’ve kinda been showing my Midwest mentality, my toughness, good stuff here and there.”