'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Christian Lee is prepared to take on all comers in his second reign as ONE lightweight world champion. However, if given the choice to pick who he fights next, ‘The Warrior’ said he wants to test himself against MMA royalty.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Christian Lee remained adamant about his desire to share the circle with ‘The Underground King’ Eddie Alvarez.
The United MMA star said:
“[Alvarez is] a veteran of the sport. He’s claimed titles in other organizations. He’s done a lot for the sport. So I would definitely like to make that fight happen.”
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
It's seemed that these two have been on a collision course ever since the American fighter took his talents to ONE back in 2018. Alvarez, after all, entered the promotion’s 170-pound division, where Lee was already one of the top guys at the time.
Trending
There was even a time when Alvarez was just one win away from challenging Christian Lee during his first tenure as lightweight king.
All he needed to do was beat Dagi Arslanaliev in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Championship Final at ONE: Century Part 1 in 2019. The dreaded injury bug, however, forced Alvarez to withdraw from essentially a world title eliminator.
Ironically, it was Lee, who was already occupying the lightweight throne at the time, who stepped up as Alvarez’s last-minute replacement and ended up beating Arslanaliev by unanimous decision.
Almost three years later, Christian Lee is hoping the door is still open for a fight against Alvarez. Then again, their conflicting fates at the moment make that highly unlikely.
Lee is back on top of the division after conquering his former usurper, Ok Rae Yoon, to regain his world title.
Alvarez, on the other hand, only has one win to show for in his first four fights in ONE.
However, neither fighter is booked for a match at the moment, and Christian Lee believes Alvarez can still make a world title run if he can string a few wins together.
“But, like I said, I really believe in the ranking system. I would love to see him work his way up to the top five and then make that fight happen right away.”
He added:
“I’m not sure when he’s going to fight next. But hopefully, the next time we see him in there, it’s to get himself in line for a shot.”
Eddie Alvarez can still make a run for Christian Lee’s belt
Eddie Alvarez, a former UFC lightweight champion, is used to dealing with adversity throughout his storied career.
Despite his struggles since moving to ONE, the 38-year-old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native wants to prove he still has a lot left in the tank.
Alvarez has already scoffed at the notion of dropping down to featherweight to fight Martin Nguyen. By the looks of it, he has no intentions of leaving the 170-pound division anytime soon.
A win or two over anyone in the top five should push Alvarez’s name back into contention. A grudge match against the No.4-ranked Shinya Aoki makes the most sense, since the Japanese grappler is also coming off a loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Plus, Alvarez and Aoki have some unfinished business since they each own one win over the other.
