‘This Is My Time’ – Antonio Mammarella Planning To Spoil Adrian Lee’s Debut At ONE 167
Italian standout Antonio Mammarella won’t be intimidated by the moment when he makes his ONE Championship debut on a massive U.S. primetime card on Friday, June 7.
At ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video, the 24-year-old will square off with fellow ONE newcomer Adrian Lee in a lightweight MMA scrap at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
While Mammarella owns a wealth of amateur MMA experience and a dangerous, well-rounded skill set, much of the martial arts world is talking about his opponent.
That’s because Lee is the next in line from a family of MMA royalty – the younger brother to current two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee and former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
The Italian has nothing but respect for his foe, and he’s embracing this high-pressure spot in his first appearance. But despite the unique circumstances, Mammarella told onefc.com that his fight will be business as usual:
“I obviously respect Lee and his family, as they are great fighters, but this is my time, and it’s even better to have a big name in front of me, so everyone will see what I’m capable of.
“It’s just another day in the office. Surely, it’s going to be the biggest show I’ve been part of, but it’s all part of the job, and I’m ready for this.”
Beyond Lee’s heritage, he also enjoyed an accomplished amateur MMA career and won a state title in wrestling – adding to the buzz surrounding his ONE debut.
Mammarella, though, is confident that his own experience and skills are just as good, if not better. After years of training under perhaps Italy’s finest coach – the highly respected Angelo Pompeo – he feels ready for whatever Lee might throw at him:
“I have strong amateur MMA experience. I fought the best in Italy, trained under the guidance of the best MMA, wrestling, and BJJ coaches in Italy.
“It’s good to compete in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, but MMA is a completely different sport.”
Now training out of MMA Family Fight Team in Australia, Mammarella is sure that he will shock the world and take out his highly touted opponent on June 7.
Naturally, he’s gunning for the stoppage and was happy to make a prediction:
“We’re gonna get the finish via KO.”
Mammarella Says Professional Experience Will Be Key
Even though he’s competed in plenty of amateur MMA fights, Antonio Mammarella is just 1-0 as a professional. His 18-year-old foe, Adrian Lee, will be making his pro debut at ONE 167.
The Italian says that even a single professional appearance makes a big difference and that it has completely changed his mindset:
“Turning professional is a very hard step to make. You need to be ready mentally more than technically.
“I think an important aspect is not only having a pro fight but also being a pro fighter for more time than Lee. And with that, I mean living, training, and thinking like a professional fighter.”
Ultimately, Mammarella recognizes the monumental opportunity before him at such an early stage in his promising young career, sharing the card with global superstars like Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, and Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci.
He plans to deliver the same kind of electrifying performance that ONE fans have come to expect from the organization’s big-name athletes:
“I’m really excited about the event. ONE 167 is going to be one of the greatest cards ever. It’s such a blessing for me to see my name near world-class athletes that I’ve been following for years.
“I will surprise everyone on my ONE debut. My fights are always entertaining because I always give everything.”
