Nico ‘The Steel City Kid’ Cornejo is all set to make his ONE Championship debut on September 6 in Denver. The 35-year-old will take on Adrian Lee in a highly exciting lightweight MMA clash. Lee is fresh from his debut MMA victory in his previous fight and is riding high on confidence. Coming from a family of fighters,’ The Phenom’ will look to achieve the same success in his career. Cornejo is aware of the threat his opponent poses and shares his opinion on Lee. 

While speaking to ONE Championship, he said,  “I don’t see a lot that I can pick apart. I see a lot of his strengths. His striking ability is amazing. “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.” While he does respect his opponent a lot, Cornejo is determined not to take a step back in his debut fight. 

Nico Cornejo aiming for a knockout victory against Adrian Lee at ONE 168: Denver 

Adrian Lee began his professional MMA career in an exceptional manner when he took on Antonio Mamarella at ONE 167 in June. The youngster finished the fight via submission in the second round and lived up to the hype surrounding him. Hailing from a family of champions, ‘The Phenom’ displayed exceptional fighting skills, which caught the attention of his next opponent. However, ‘The Steel City Kid’ is unfazed by the hype surrounding the teenager. Cornejo hopes to make the maximum use of the opportunity given to him and wants to match fire with fire. He said, “I’m gonna come out, I’m gonna 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.” 

A win against Adrian Lee will help him catch the attention of many in the division and set him up for more high profile clashes in the future. Cornejo is known for his outstanding wrestling skills, but his striking is second to none. The 34-year-old is looking to register his first victory in the promotion and is confident that he will finish his opponent. 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.” 

It was not so long ago that Nico Cornejo was showing his skills outside the promotion. He caught the attention of ONE’s matchmakers due to his unwavering spirit and dedication to the craft. He will now have the opportunity to compete at such a big stage, and the 35-year-old feels blessed to be noticed. 

Nico Cornejo opens up on how he feels after getting picked by ONE Championship 

For 35-year-old Nico Cornejo, the journey to the top of the sport has never been an easy one. However, his hard work and dedication have finally paid off as he prepares for his debut clash in ONE Championship. Cornejo holds a perfect record in amateur and professional fighting and will look to keep his record intact. His last two fights in 2023 have ended via knockout, which shows the kind of talent he possesses. However, he was a bit emotional when the ONE officials finally decided to give him the opportunity that he had been waiting for a long time. 

He said, “I was taken aback. I really was choked up on words. Excited. Nervous. Scared. You know, happy. And just everything that I’ve put in, my blood, sweat, and tears. Literally, blood, sweat, and tears. To finally have someone take notice, I never thought ONE would, but man, I am blessed.” He further pointed out how he was the first fighter from Pueblo to get a professional contract from ONE Championship which has added a lot of pressure on him. However, the 35-year-old is confident he will live up to the expectations as he performs well under pressure. 

Facing Adrian Lee in his debut fight will be one of the toughest challenges of Cornejo’s career. But it will be interesting to see if he can carry his form against him in Denver. Who do you think will win the fight between the two? Let us know about it in the comments below.