Can Ok Rae Yoon shock the world and beat Christian Lee again?

Ok Rae Yoon has been ONE lightweight world champion for nearly a year, but in the eyes of many, the South Korean is yet to prove that he is the true lightweight titleholder.

Earning a unanimous decision over former world champion Christian Lee at ONE: Revolution last September was nothing short of controversial. Many fans and fighters still believe ‘The Warrior’ rightfully won the contest, as he caused significant damage, including breaking the orbital of Ok Rae Yoon.

On August 26, the South Korean will have the opportunity to prove he is the true lightweight king when the two rivals run it back in the main event of ONE 160.

ONE Championship recently previewed the highly anticipated rematch with a highlight of Ok Rae Yoon on Instagram:

“Ok Rae Yoon defends his ONE Lightweight World Title in a heated rematch with Christian Lee on August 26 at ONE 160! 👊🔥 @ok_raeyoon”

The best way for Ok to legitimize his win over Lee in 2021 is to do it again in their rematch. Fans have a relatively strong case for discrediting the South Korean’s win in their first meeting, but if Ok Rae Yoon can get the nod over ‘The Warrior’ once again, it will leave no further doubt that he is the true undisputed lightweight world champion.

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How does Ok Rae Yoon defeat Christian Lee at ONE 160?

Earning a second straight victory against Christian Lee is much easier said than done, but Ok Rae Yoon can do just that by taking two very important steps. The first, and arguably the one that earned him the judges’ decision in their first outing, is to have better cardio than his opponent.

As Christian Lee began to slow down in the championship rounds at ONE: Revolution, Ok seemingly never lost a step, which clearly left a very good impression in the eyes of the judges. If Ok can outlast Lee once again, it’ll give him the edge as the fight goes on, allowing him to pop in and out of range and lead the dance inside the circle.

Another important factor is damage. Namely, don’t take as much. Given the constant debate and controversy of the first contest, judges will be on their A-game to make sure the right decision is levied. If Ok takes the same level of damage that he did in September, he will most likely lose a decision this time around.

ONE Championship does not employ a 10-9 scoring system for MMA bouts, but OK would be smart to play the ‘points game’ with Lee. Both fighters will likely look for that definitive finish this time around, erasing the stigma of their first meeting one way or another. However, Ok’s best chance is to repeat his first fight performance, but this time using his speed and counter-striking to avoid significant damage.

The world champion will certainly have his work cut out for him. Luckily for fans, we only have a few more weeks before we find out who truly is the rightful owner of the lightweight throne.