Adrian Lee Recalls Unique MMA Journey Before Debut at ONE 167 – “I’ve Been on the Mats Ever Since I Learned How to Walk”

Adrian Lee will be making his professional debut soon at just 18 years old, but he appears to be well-equipped already in terms of skills. The youngest of the famed Lee family will make his promotional bow at ONE 167: Stamp vs Zamboanga on Friday, June 7, where he takes on Antonio Mammarella in a lightweight MMA bout inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Coming from a family of martial artists – including former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Angela Lee and reigning two-division World Champion, Christian Lee – it was not surprising that he would dabble in the sport at a very young age.

Adrian Lee turned his MMA hobby into a passion

In an interview with ONE Championship, he shared that he was indeed on the mats as soon as he was practically able to train. “I’ve been on the mats ever since I learned how to walk. I think I started training around three years old,” he said. Unlike many fighters competing in the all-encompassing sport of mixed martial arts, Lee did not start out in a particular sport. Instead, he has always trained in multiple aspects of the fight game since day one.

However, despite his advanced skills that are only a result of tireless work on his craft, the Hawaii native is still just a teenager at heart who has other interests. “Everything I’m usually focused on is anything related to MMA, but occasionally I do like to play video games on the weekend,” he said. Having been around greatness in the sport growing up, Lee’s interest in the sport started out as a hobby for him.

It wasn’t long before the hobby turned into a passion, with the thrill of competing pushing him to be the best version of himself. “I always had a lot of fun training in MMA. However, I found that I had a true passion for it once I started competing.”

Following in the footsteps of the family

“I think I had a pretty steady and gradual increase in my skills throughout the years, but I think once I really started focusing on MMA and decided that this is something I wanted to pursue, that was when my skills were able to vastly jump.” he said. As he grew older, he saw his siblings win prestigious belts in the world’s largest martial arts organization and how it changed their lives, which gave him the idea that it could be a career path he could pursue in the future.

When he, too, claimed success in the amateur ranks, the idea of becoming a professional fighter became more apparent for him.  “I think at around 13 years old when I won Worlds was when I found out that I could really do this,” he said.

In a few short weeks, his dream will become reality as he steps inside the same Circle that vaulted his siblings to global superstardom. Fans should expect him to live up to the exciting brand of fighting that his family has built over the years.