4 Of Christian Lee’s Most Impressive Victories

ONEchampionship.com

Christian “The Warrior” Lee could set a new record this coming Friday, 9 March.

The young lion is scheduled to clash with two-division DEEP Champion Kazunori Yokota at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY, live from the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

If Lee were to submit or knock out his veteran Japanese opponent, he would set a new record for most stoppage victories in ONE Championship history at nine. Also, he would solidify himself as a top contender in a stacked featherweight division.

Here are just four of the most unforgettable victories in the teenage sensation’s career thus far.

A Sensational Slam To Remember

The 19-year-old standout took on Japan’s Kotetsu “No Face” Boku at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD last December. Boku, a former ONE Lightweight World Champion, was building a campaign towards his second world title, but the Singaporean stopped him in his tracks.

Lee looked as calm and cool as possible. He switched stances and remained aggressive for the better part of the first round, and when he felt he could rush in, he did just that. He grabbed a hold of the Japanese veteran, took his back, and landed a devastating suplex, which dazed Boku.

“The Warrior” immediately jumped on his deflated foe and landed some ground strikes to force the referee to stop the action at the 3:24 mark of the first round.

With the win, Lee tied Amir Khan’s record for most finishes in the promotion at eight. This Friday, the “The Warrior” will try to break that record.

Taking Out Anthony Engelen

After a pair of impressive first-round finishes to start his career, Lee stepped up in competition to meet Dutch-Indonesian star Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS in March 2016. Despite his opponent possessing more experience, “The Warrior” had a dominant showing.

The Singaporean showed no hesitation inside the cage, as he looked for the finish from the second the opening bell sounded. Lee stunned Engelen in the early going, and even brought “The Archangel” to the ground briefly.

However, it was a straight left midway through the opening stanza that changed the course of this match-up. Lee instantly went on attack mode, as he dropped ground strikes from a variety of positions and fished for submissions. Ultimately, “The Warrior” earned the TKO at the 4:14 mark of round one.

Submitting Cary Bullos

Lee returned to the cage against the Philippines’ Cary Bullos at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER in May 2016. Again, age and veteran experience did not play a factor in this tilt.

The Filipino combatant started the action with kick after kick, and then darted at Lee with a looping right before pushing him against the cage. That would lead to his undoing, as the Singaporean reversed the position with a front headlock, and then unleashed powerful knees that had Bullos covering up.

Lee then dragged the Filipino to the mat with a deep Brabo choke locked in. Just seconds after falling to the canvas, the Filipino had no choice but to tap out. The official time was 2:07 of the first round.

Tapping Out Keanu Subba

Merely a year after his learning experience against eventual ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin Nguyen, he built upon his TKO of Wan Jian Ping at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS. He met Malaysia’s Keanu Subba in August 2017, and it was one of the best matches of the year.

Subba was the first man to take Lee out of the first round. The Malaysian effectively mixed his strikes, and even had the younger athlete backpedalling at times. Although Lee entered the second frame like a man on a mission, Subba scored a takedown, and scored with ground and pound.

The tide completely changed in the last minute of the stanza, however, as Lee almost finished his rival with an anaconda choke. He carried that momentum into the third round, and managed to secure a triangle choke from the mount position before transitioning to an armbar to finish the contest.