Adrian Lee makes his professional debut on Saturday morning against Antonio Mammarella at ONE 167, and while the 18-year-old is a newcomer to the ring, he will be in familiar surroundings.
Lee, after all, comes from a famous mixed martial arts family: sister Angela retired last year as the reigning ONE Championship atomweight champion, while brother Christian still holds the lightweight and welterweight titles.
Though she was only 18 years old, she had already won all three of her bouts in ONE Championship and was considered a future atomweight champion.
Her brother says the bond between the two was especially strong: “My sister and I were close in age, so we did everything together. We were always really close.”
What the Lee family has achieved with ONE Championship is incredible, and it is something the youngest member of the family hopes to continue.
Adrian Lee has traveled and trained with his brothers and has witnessed the good and the bad first hand.
But while becoming a champion is his ultimate goal, the teenager will also be well aware of the sacrifices that come with being a professional athlete at such a young age.
Christian, who has been with him in Bangkok and has been a big influence “every step of the way”, reminds him to “stay focused on your goal and don't let anything distract you”.
Adrian had a successful amateur career in Hawaii, competing extensively in wrestling, submission grappling and mixed martial arts, and he credits his family for helping him get through difficult situations.
“These big tournaments are always the most nerve-wracking, but luckily I have brothers who have already been through the same thing, so I always have their support.”
Christian, who made his ONE Championship debut as a teenager, trains Adrian and is excited about his younger brother’s potential.
“Adrian has trained really hard for this fight and has great skills that he's just waiting to show the world. I'm really excited for him to go out there and put on a show and show the world how good he is.”
Christian himself has 17 wins in ONE Championship, 16 of which have come inside the distance, and he wastes no time in running his opponents out of the arena, suggesting that Adrian plans to emulate this fan-friendly style.
“Our main focus has always been just to get the job done as quickly as possible. We're just going there to make a point. There's no point in taking any more time than necessary.”
Since Victoria's death, no one in her family has competed on a ONE Championship card, Angela is officially retired and Christian has been away from the cage for almost two years (but is expected to return eventually).
After Victoria's death, the family gym closed but a new one was built in its place, renamed in honour of the fighter nicknamed “The Phenom”.
Adrian will understand the significance of being the first fighter to represent the Prodigy Training Center.
While there will be pressure and expectations on Adrian as he approaches his first professional bout, Lee, the latest to compete on a ONE Championship card, seems ready for the spotlight.
“I learned that if you want to achieve the goals you want, you have to stay focused. I've been so focused on my goals that I've been able to persevere through it all these years.”
“Right now, the only thing on my mind is beating Antonio Mammarella, but after that I want to become lightweight champion and hopefully become a two-division champion.”
