ONE Championship: Christian Lee vows to finish off Alibeg Rasulov in Tokyo rematch
Double champion focuses on legacy, family and finishing what he started after accidental eye poke ended first fight last year
Christian Lee is returning to Tokyo for ONE 173 with a clear mission: the reigning ONE Championship lightweight and welterweight MMA king wants to erase the memory of his accidental eye poke that halted his first bout with Alibeg Rasulov and prove once again he is one of the greatest finishers in the promotion’s history.
The 27-year-old has spent two years on the sidelines since becoming a two-division world champion. Now back to defend his lightweight crown against the undefeated Turkish contender, Lee is fuelled by legacy and family pride as he prepares to compete in Japan once more.
“I’m excited to be going back to Tokyo,” the Canadian-born American told the Post. “The crowd is great and the fans are amazing. Most importantly, I’m just excited to get back in there and finish what I started in this rematch.”
The first fight between Lee and Rasulov in Bangkok last December ended abruptly in round two because of the foul, leaving the lightweight title picture unresolved. Lee insists he was building momentum when the incident took place and expects no slow start this time around.
“In our first fight, I felt like the momentum was starting to shift my way,” he said. “One more round and I feel like I could have gotten him out of there. Going into this fight, I’ll be looking to pick up right where I left off.
“There’ll be no need for a feeling-out process.”