My ultimate goal in ONE Championship
would be to retire as a two-division World Champion.
I will whisper in his ear during the fight,
“Stay in your lightweight division.”
On November 18, two divisional kings collide
at ONE on Prime Video 4.
Christian Lee is a homegrown star of the Circle,
debuting at age 17
and becoming the youngest-ever male MMA World Champion at 20.
When I first started my MMA career back in 2015,
my main goal was to become the World Champion.
I fought as many times as I could.
I took any fight that was given to me,
and I just loved what I was doing.
I’m grateful that I grew up in a family of martial artists.
Growing up in the gym, training every day,
and having that as a part of my life from a very young age.
I feel like that’s what helped me to become the martial artist that I am today.
In August, Lee began his second ONE Lightweight World Title reign,
avenging his controversial loss to Ok Rae Yoon.
I had beaten almost everyone in the lightweight division.
There was only one opponent left
but I got that one back.
Now, there’s no place to go but up.
Standing in the way of Lee becoming a double-champ
is ONE Welterweight World Champion Kiamrian Abbasov.
In Russia and Kyrgyzstan,
we face many life challenges and difficulties,
but it tempers us and makes us stronger.
Difficult times give birth to strong people.
Kiamrian Abbasov has very good wrestling.
I know he comes from a Greco-Roman background.
But beyond that, I think that he’s also a very good mixed martial artist.
He knows how to mix it up between striking and grappling.
He doesn’t have too many weaknesses.
I’m going to be looking to expose his weaknesses
and try to find a hole in his game that no one else has yet.
Against me, a lot of things won’t go as planned for him.
Naturally, he’ll complain to his dad or coach,
”Coach, we have a big problem. Kiamrian Abbasov is a big problem.
Please, stop the fight. Stop the fight.”
When the cage is closed, the media and his family can’t help him.
It will be only me and him with all his big problems,
because of his desire to move up to my division.
Moving up divisions is nothing new.
I started my career at featherweight
and I jumped up to lightweight immediately fighting for the World Title.
Moving up to welterweight, it’s going to be the same case.
He may face issues going up in weight and lose explosiveness.
I think he has a lot to improve physically if he wants to overcome my strength.
I think he may get tired quickly
because I’m an old fish at this weight,
and he’s entered my sea.
I feel that weight does not have too much to do with fighting.
Fighting is more about skill,
about who’s worked harder,
about who wants to win more.
Size doesn’t matter.
Weight does matter.
He entered the wrong territory, and this was his big mistake.
I see this fight with Abbasov
as a complete war.
I’ll take the finish as soon as it comes
but I think it’s going to be a submission in the third round.
I won’t give my belt to anyone or allow any wannabes in here.
I’ve worked too hard to reach this point,
and I won’t give my belt to anybody.
Winning the ONE Welterweight World Championship
and becoming a double-champ
will be the biggest moment in my career.
You can expect the champion to stay the champion.
I will crush you.