‘Pure Instincts And Pure Training’ – Christian Lee Reflects On ‘Crazy’ Win Over Kiamrian Abbasov
On November 19, Christian Lee delivered another incredible performance to prove that he’s undoubtedly one of the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artists on the planet.
The ONE Lightweight World Champion stepped up to challenge Kiamrian Abbasov for the ONE Welterweight World Title at ONE on Prime Video 4, overcoming the odds to claim gold in a second division.
“The Warrior” had to endure an extremely tough first round where he was badly hurt by the defending king, but he showcased his heart and durability to score a miraculous comeback victory and make history.
Looking back at the win, Lee said:
“It was a crazy fight. I think me and Abbasov were both hurting after that fight was done. But it was a great night. I’m grateful that I was able to get my hand raised.
“But of course, looking back, I still feel like I could’ve done much better in that fight. I feel like if I was fighting at my full potential that night, I could’ve finished him in the first round, but I had that early knockdown by Abbasov that set me back a little bit. It turned the fight into a war, which I was prepared for anyway.”
After surviving that flurry of shots in the opening frame, Lee turned the tide and used his striking and wrestling to dial up the pressure on “Brazen” throughout rounds two and three.
Then in the fourth frame, “The Warrior” truly turned up the heat and took it to Abbasov, smashing him with elbows on the feet, before securing the TKO finish via ground-and-pound.
Ultimately, the 24-year-old credits his hard work leading up to the battle for earning him the late victory.
He said:
“Being in the championship rounds is something different. It takes the training, having the cardio to push through when time comes down to it. But it also takes a tremendous amount of mental strength to just not give yourself any second to doubt your cardio, to not even take a second to overanalyze the fight. You just have to go on pure instincts and pure training.
“So, when it came down to those championship rounds, it was everything that I’ve done in the training room just kicking in and taking over. Because when you’re that exhausted – and in my case having gotten knocked down in the first round – there’s not so much thinking going on.”
Christian Lee: ‘I Plan On Defending Both Divisions’
It’s an immensely difficult task to dominate a single division, but Christian Lee is adamant that he can rule at both lightweight and welterweight simultaneously.
Getting both belts has long been a dream for the Singaporean-American superstar, though that’s not where the road ends for “The Warrior.”
Now, he wants to maintain his status as a double-champ for as long as possible by defeating the top contenders in both weight classes.
Lee said:
“It feels great to be a two-division champion. My goal was always to win a World Title, defend the belt, and then claim a second World Title. I’ve done all of those things so far, and it feels so great to be pretty early in my career in the fight game and still be able to accomplish all of those achievements.
“For me now, it’s about continuing to fight, continuing to perform to the best of my abilities, and I plan on defending both divisions.”
There are plenty of contenders in both divisions who will be eager to take their shot at the reigning king.
For his part, Lee feels ready for anyone, but he also sees a few standout names who will be on his radar heading into 2023.
“The Warrior” added:
“I feel like it’s really clear who the next opponents are in front of me. I think that out of everybody, the three people I’m looking forward to fighting would be [lightweight] Saygid Izagakhmaev, [welterweight] Murad Ramazanov, and [weltwerweight] Roberto Soldic.
“Right now, I think those are the three top guys within the two divisions, and I’m looking forward to facing one of them. It doesn’t matter who first.
“For me, I try not to play matchmaker too much. I just go in there and do my job so whoever they throw at me I’m ready.”
