When it comes to fighting, certain family names immediately spring to mind for MMA fans who have been dominating the realm of ONE Championship since their introduction to the world’s biggest martial arts organization. The Lee family stands out as one of the most monumental martial arts families in the Hawaiian region. With stars like Christian “The Warrior” Lee and “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, things have been working in favor of the Lee family, and it seems like the youngest member is about to make his move to the Octagon as well.
Adrian Lee will be having his debut fight against Antonio Mammarella at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga. The 18-year-old superstar fighter is ready to follow in the footsteps of his siblings. Nonetheless, ahead of the scheduled clash against Mammarella, Lee sat with EssentiallySports to speak about his feelings about the fight after his sister Victoria Lee’s passing.
Adrian Lee explains his deep feelings ahead of the One 167 clash
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December 2022 was a tough month for the Lee family as one of the Lee siblings and ONE atomweight MMA athlete, Victoria Lee, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 18. Following the heartbreaking loss and to cope with the demise of their beloved sibling, the entire family took a break from the world of fighting. However, Adrian Lee is all set to step foot into the octagon with his debut against Mammarella at ONE 167.
The young star sat down to have a conversation with EssentiallySports and when asked, “As the entire family took a step back from competitions after Victoria’s passing, how would you like to honor her legacy and name?”, Lee explained that he would be winning the bout and dedicate it to his sister. “Through my fights and successes, I will honor her name and legacy since she will also be there every step of the way,” said Adrian Lee.
The 18-year-old star has been working in the realm of MMA from a very young age, as his siblings were there to teach him about the know-how of Mixed Martial Arts. It must be noted that this will be the first official global fight of his career and this win might propel his career to a different section.
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Meanwhile, in another conversation with the ONE, Lee explained how he came up with the idea that he wanted to pursue MMA as his career.
Lee’s passion forced him to pursue MMA
It is just natural that Lee likes the idea of fighting for a living, as his siblings are the best at doing it. Adrian Lee has always been fascinated by the fact of competing in the circle. His relentless drive to compete forced him to have a career in MMA and his father, Ken Lee, has always been supportive of his kids’ life choices.
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“I always had a lot of fun training in MMA. However, I found that I had a true passion for it once I started competing. I think I had a pretty steady and gradual increase in my skills throughout the years, but I think once I really started focusing on MMA and decided that this is something I wanted to pursue, that was when my skills were able to vastly jump,” said Adrian Lee in a conversation with ONE.
Adrian Lee’s career might be starting, but it is just the beginning of a great story. Nonetheless, what are your expectations from his debut? Share your thoughts in the comments below.