Christian Lee ‘Extremely Grateful’ For Chance To Become Double-Champ Against Kiamrian Abbasov
On November 18, reigning lightweight king Christian Lee will aim to enter the rarefied air of champ-champ status.
In the main event of ONE on Prime Video 4, “The Warrior” will clash with ONE Welterweight World Champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov with a shot to claim a highly coveted second MMA World Title belt.
Lee’s move up to welterweight comes just three months after he recaptured the lightweight gold at ONE 160.
In that outing, the 24-year-old avenged a previous loss to Ok Rae Yoon, stopping the South Korean in the second round to complete one of his best-ever performances.
While “The Warrior” was looking forward to some downtime following that win, he couldn’t allow himself to pass up a golden chance at Abbasov’s crown.
He explained:
“Well, initially, after claiming my title back, it sounded really nice to take some time off. But an opportunity like this is really just too big of a moment to let it just pass me by. And fighting for a second World Title, and a second weight division has always been a dream of mine since I started this sport.”
Lee certainly recognizes the life-changing opportunity before him, and he also appreciates being offered such a high-profile contest for his very first fight in a new weight class.
The four-time ONE Lightweight World Champion said:
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be fighting for the welterweight title. I’m sure there are other organizations who would want the champion to go and get a few fights in the welterweight division before going for a title. But I also feel like everything lined up well to make this super-fight happen.”
Lee Predicts Submission Win Over ‘Extremely Talented’ Abbasov
Of course, “The Warrior” will face an incredibly stiff test at ONE on Prime Video 4.
With his venomous boxing, solid takedown defense, and seemingly endless gas tank, Kiamrian Abbasov has established himself as ONE’s top welterweight – and perhaps the most dangerous opponent of Lee’s 20-fight career.
With that in mind, the lightweight king predicts fireworks on November 18:
“I think they chose a good fight to headline this card. Because Abbasov is an extremely talented fighter, I know that when he goes out there, he’s always looking to finish his fights. And when I go there, I’m looking to finish my fights. So regardless of the outcome, I know, it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans.”
Lee has earned a stoppage in all but one of his 16 professional victories to date.
So naturally, he’ll look for another spectacular finish against Abbasov. But given “Brazen’s” World Championship-level durability and deep skill set, “The Warrior” is ready for, well, a war.
He added:
“I think Abbasov’s greatest strength is the fact that he’s a well-rounded martial artist. He’s a very durable fighter. He’s got good cardio. I feel that he’s able to mix up his striking and his wrestling quite well, which is why he is the champion.
“So yeah, it’s definitely not going to be an easy fight for me, it’s not an easy fight for anybody. And I’m training really hard to make sure that I’m prepared for everything that Abbasov is going to bring to the table.”
Ultimately, though, the lightweight king is confident he’ll put Abbasov away in under three rounds to claim his second ONE World Title and establish himself as one of the planet’s best pound-for-pound fighters.
Looking ahead to this blockbuster World Champion vs. World Champion showdown, Lee predicted:
“Of course, my goal is always to finish my opponents in the first round. But technically speaking, giving Abbasov credit, how tough he is, I think that I’m going to end up wearing him down and submitting him in the third round.”
November 18 | ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs. Lee | 8 p.m. ET | How To Watch
- Fans in the U.S. and Canada can watch for free with an Amazon Prime subscription!
