- George Chung
- Aug 28, 2024
- 2 min read
Adrian Lee made his ONE Championship debut in June with a second-round finish at ONE 167. Three months later, he returns for a follow-up performance against Nico Cornejo at ONE 168: Denver on Friday, September 6.
The talented teen has already been hard at work studying his opponent for ONE's return to the U.S.
"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 told ONE.
After his professional debut, Lee expressed mild disappointment that he didn't get a first-round finish. Although he was too hard on himself for a standout showing, he is using that as motivation to shine under the bright lights in Denver.
"I plan to bring into this fight how well-rounded I really am. I plan to show more of my striking, more of my grappling, and more of my wrestling in this fight compared to my last," the lightweight talent remarked.
The Lee family always wants to finish the matches as soon as possible, and the youngest sibling is carrying that tradition forward.
Thus, it is no surprise he has a very brief prediction for how his mainland debut will go on September 6.
"I plan on finishing it first round, either TKO, KO, or submission, whatever comes first," Lee predicts.
The Lees reside in Hawaii but have never gotten the chance to compete professionally in the United States.
After years of traveling to Asia, Adrian will become the first to show off his skills in front of a U.S. audience. That prospect is an exciting development for the 18-year-old, who wears that burden proudly ahead of ONE 168.
"It means a lot to me. I'm extremely excited to have my second fight on U.S. soil because me and my family, we've never competed on this level stage in the U.S. before. I'm excited to show the American fans what ONE fighters can do," Lee stated.
"I can't wait to show all the American fans how truly ahead of the game we are."
Lee also wants to continue ONE's growth in the U.S. and plans to use his performance as an example of what fans can expect moving forward.
If his first match was a glimpse into the future, fans are in for a treat come September 6.
"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," Lee said.
