Nico Cornejo unfazed by Adrian Lee’s hype: “Don’t mess with wrestlers from Colorado” 

Nico Cornejo looks to derail the hype surrounding one of MMA’s most promising young stars.  

“The Steel City Kid” battles Adrian Lee in a lightweight bout at ONE 168: Denver at Ball Arena this Friday, September 6.

Facing Lee offers Cornejo the opportunity to turn heads and claim a significant victory over one of the most talked-about prospects in recent memory. 

“I don’t see a lot that I can pick apart. I see a lot of his strengths. His striking ability is amazing,” the Colorado native said of his foe. 

Despite his admiration for Lee’s skills, that doesn’t diminish his confidence in his own abilities.  

“I know in my previous bouts that a lot of mine are wrestling. I outgrappled my opponents, but I do have striking on reserve if I need it. I’ve had a lot of doubters say that I don’t have the striking, but no one has been able to stop my wrestling, either,” he said. 

Unbeaten as both an amateur and a professional, Cornejo has built a formidable reputation in Colorado’s MMA scene. 

His powerful takedowns and heavy ground-and-pound have earned him a spot among the state’s most highly touted homegrown talents. 

The 34-year-old believes he has the tools to not only compete with Lee but to dominate him. 

“I don’t have the accomplishments of a state wrestler, anything like that. But man, if it’s one thing you know for sure, you know Colorado wrestlers, we’re tough. Don’t mess with wrestlers from Colorado,” he said. 

Nico Cornejo looks to be Adrian Lee in decisive fashion 

For Nico Cornejo, the game plan is straightforward yet ambitious — to nullify Adrian Lee in every phase of the fight. 

Whether it’s on the feet or on the mat, the American debutant feels he has the edge. 

“I’m going to come out, I’m going to match his hustle. My plan is to go out there, and if he wants to match striking for striking, we’ll match striking for striking. If he wants to wrestle, we’ll wrestle, too,” he said. 

“I’m looking for that KO or the TKO. You know, if I get a submission, I get a submission. Either way, I’m finishing the fight.”