“Wasn’t My Decision” – Adrian Lee Opens Up on Coach’s Advice to Start His Professional MMA Journey at 18

Young phenom Adrian Lee will soon make his professional MMA debut, and he’ll be doing it under the bright lights of ONE Championship. Following the footsteps of his siblings, the Singaporean-American fighter is all set to roar with his professional debut

On June 7, in U.S. primetime at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video, the 18-year-old Hawaiian will lock horns with Australian standout Antonio Mammarella in an explosive lightweight MMA tilt. Their clash would be Lee’s first professional fight of his career and just like his siblings, the young fighter is willing to explore the possibilities of his strengths

Adrian Lee following family’s footsteps to his success

That contest will take place at Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and is sure to draw the attention of martial arts fans from around the globe. That’s because, as the brother to former ONE World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, current two-division MMA king Christian “The Warrior” Lee, and the late ONE superstar Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee, Adrian is the next in line of a family of elite fighters.

While Lee’s move to compete with the best of the best in ONE might seem like a no-brainer given his family history, the decision to turn pro at such a young age is perhaps less obvious. As he explains, his coaches made the decision for the teen to move up to the professional ranks. Undoubtedly, his prodigious talents and years of experience in the training room made that decision an easy one.

“Turning pro wasn’t my decision to make. Whatever my coach said, I was ready to go. I was ready to take it.I feel like I’ve been ready to enter the pro circuit for a while. However, it’s just now that my coaches believe that my skills are ready for it. That’s the reason why I started.” Lee said:

Plans to soar high in ONE Championship

Naturally, the future is bright for the newest pro fighter of the famous fighting family. For his part, Lee doesn’t want to look past Mammarella at ONE 167, but he does admit to some lofty aspirations in ONE Championship – aspirations that include two-division glory like his brother Christian.

He further added “Right now the only thing on my mind is beating Antonio Mammarella. However, after that, I plan on becoming the lightweight champ and possibly two-division champ. Of course, all the competition that I’ve had previous to this will help me handle the pressure. But I just believe in my training and when the time comes, I’ll be ready for it.”

June 7 will be the day when the young Lee will be making his professional debut. Nonetheless, what’s your take on Adrian Lee’s upcoming career? State your thoughts in the comments below.