Adrian Lee will make his debut in ONE Championship’s lightweight MMA division early next month, and if he quickly climbs the ranks, he could meet a familiar face at the very top.
Before the young star needs to think of that, though, he’ll be putting all his attention on Antonio Mammarella, who he is set to square off with at ONE 167: Stamp vs Zamboanga on Friday, June 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Adrian Lee’s stance on facing brother Christian in ONE
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Adrian is the latest member of the famous Lee family to step foot in ONE. His sisters, former atomweight MMA queen Angela and Victoria, who tragically passed away in late 2022, represented the clan well in the promotion, and his brother Christian is the reigning king of the lightweight and welterweight MMA divisions.
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Given his older sibling’s status as a lightweight titleholder, many foresee a clash between Lee and “The Warrior” should his run go well, and he spoke about that prospect in an interview with Essentially Sports.
“Me and my brother will never face each other. If the time comes where I am the #1 contender, and he’s still the lightweight champ, I will wait until he relinquishes his belt,” he said.
It’s not surprising that the young up-and-comer has no interest in letting gold get in the way of his relationship with his brother.
Lee speaks highly of his brother
According to Adrian, Christian has always been supportive of his burgeoning career, and he, in turn, has been a fixture at his older brother’s fights.
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They were together when he won back the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title from Ok Rae Yoon at ONE 160 in August 2022 and at ONE on Prime Video 4, when “The Warrior” won the welterweight belt from Kiamrian Abbasov.
When asked about his brother, the two-division World Champion has always hype him up as possibly being the best fighter in the family.
Considering his success in the amateur ranks and his brother’s assessment of his skills, Adrian will have many eyes on his ONE Championship debut at ONE 167. But the Prodigy Training Center product believes he is well-equipped to live up to the expectation.
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“Of course I feel the pressure,” Lee said.
“However, my training and preparation will have me more than ready to deal with it.”