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ONE’s newest two-division world champion, Christian Lee, wants to test himself against the best in the world. It appears ‘The Warrior’ doesn’t mind taking on a fellow world champion from another promotion just to prove he’s truly the greatest in the hurt business.
The reigning ONE lightweight king, who recently just won the ONE welterweight world title against Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE on Prime Video 4, entertained the idea of taking on UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The fanfare only grew louder after the Dagestani mauler also graced the Singapore Indoor Stadium this past weekend, around the same time Lee conquered two divisions.
Clad in a ONE hoodie, Makhachev cornered his teammate and ONE rising star Saygid Izagakhmaev in his lightweight clash against Shinya Aoki.
Makhachev’s guidance seemingly did wonders for Izagakhmaev, as he bludgeoned the Japanese legend in less than a round at ONE 163.
Shortly after draping two massive golden belts on his shoulders, Lee met with the media and discussed how he’d fare against a fighter of Makhachev’s caliber.
Lee said during his ONE on Prime Video 4 post-fight interview:
“Absolutely. I feel confident grappling with anybody in the world. And if the two of us were to face off, I think it would make for a great fight. Definitely exciting for the fans. And I would not be afraid to bring it to the ground to grapple him.”
Watch Christian Lee’s full statement below:
Judging by his most recent performance, Christian Lee’s claims of holding his own against a decorated grappler like Makhachev could be given credence.
For one, we've already seen the 24-year-old manhandle a hulking Greco-Roman specialist like Abbasov on the ground.
Despite getting rocked early by Abbasov, Lee showed the true heart of a champion by roaring back and eventually finishing the fight via ground and pound in round four.
While a cross-promotional match may seem far-fetched at the moment, a Christian Lee versus Islam Makhachev fight sounds like the stuff of wet dreams for MMA fans.
Saygid Izagakhmaev comments on Christian Lee’s win over Kiamrian Abbasov
If there’s one fighter who doesn’t want to see a Lee versus Makhachev fight, it’s definitely Saygid Izagakhmaev.
After all, the current No.4-ranked ONE lightweight fighter would love to battle Lee first.
During his ONE 163 post-fight interview, Izagakhmaev was asked about the Singaporean-American’s monumental victory against a tough guy like Abbasov.
The Russian said Lee did what he had to do to win. Moreover, he advised the dual champion to enjoy his moment since he’ll be coming for him real soon:
“What I would say is that he won very tactically. I was supporting Kiamrian. We are friends, actually. But yeah, he got the belt. He can relax now, and let’s see.”
Catch Saygid Izagakhmaev’s ONE 163 post-fight interview here:
