“Everyone's believing in me” – Luke Lessei eager to represent his “small Midwest town” on ONE’s global stage

Heading into his ONE Championship debut this week, Luke Lessei is drawing inspiration from the support he has been getting from the Midwest town he is from in the United States. He wants to repay it by performing well and chalking up a victory.

The 27-year-old Iowa native will make his maiden ONE outing on December 8 at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video in Bangkok, Thailand. He will take on veteran Thai fighter Jo Nattawut in a featured featherweight Muay Thai clash at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

In an interview with Cageside Press in the lead-up, Luke Lessei shared that his upcoming fight is also geared towards representing where he comes from as a fighter and putting it forth on the global stage.

He said:

“I'm so grateful [to compete inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium], like honestly. Especially coming from where I'm from like everybody's talking about how big of a debut this is going to be. Like everyone's believing in me and like getting all these interviews and stuff but it's like I gotta stay grounded, I gotta be grateful because I come from a really small Midwest town.”

“And I'm so lucky that I get to feel, you know, semi-famous from my town. I'm not famous at all but it's just that little feeling that it's just so cool and fighting in the Lumpinee Stadium.”

Check out the interview below:

Luke Lessei is a veteran of many tournaments in different parts of the world, including the World Muay Thai Championships and the Triumph Muay Thai Tournament. While at it, he established himself as a dynamic fighter with a penchant for hard finishes.

It is something he is banking on when he collides with ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut, who is looking to wiggle out of the rough patch he is currently in.

ONE Fight Night 17 is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America and will be broadcast live in US primetime.

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Luke Lessei describes himself as a gym rat growing up

American Muay Thai fighter Luke Lessei considers himself a gym rat, particularly growing up in his hometown of Dubuque, Iowa. It is something that he said turned out well for him as it prepared him for a career in martial arts while also allowing him to develop a special bond with his father.

‘The Chef’ said growing up, he spent a lot of time in his father’s gym, honing his martial arts skills. It was also where he created a lot of childhood memories.

Luke Lessei told KCRG.com in an interview:

“That’s how we play catch, me and my dad punch. He’s been running this gym in the same spot. Most of my childhood memories are in this gym.”

Now armed with the memories and lessons he has gathered all this time while at their gym, Lessei is now out to take his Muay Thai career to a whole new level when he makes his ONE Championship debut on December 8 at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video in Bangkok.