Adrian Lee lived up to expectations in his professional debut at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II.
The 18-year-old defeated Australia-based Italian Antonio Mammarella via rear-naked choke in the second round of a lightweight mixed martial arts bout at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, June 8.
Lee is the youngest member of a legendary fighting family that has dominated ONE Championship for nearly a decade.
Catch up on the news with the 7NEWS app: Download now 
His sister, Angela, reigned as the ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Champion from 2016 until her retirement in 2023. His brother, Christian, currently holds both the ONE Lightweight and Welterweight MMA World Titles.
Victoria, the third generation of the Lee family, tragically passed away in 2022 at the age of 18. She also competed in ONE, winning three straight matches.
Mammarella, who trains out of Family Fight Team in Sydney, fought tenaciously against the explosive young Singaporean-American but was ultimately unable to contain him.
Lee's speed mirrored that of his more famous brothers, quickly changing levels to score takedowns and shifting positions in search of bout-ending submissions.
The 24-year-old Mammarella attempted a kimura with seconds left in the first round but was stopped by the bell.
But he wasn't so lucky in the second round, when Lee applied a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap within two minutes.
After his impressive debut in ONE, Adrian looked up to the sky in joy and relief.
“It feels great,” Lee told ONE commentator Mitch Chilson after the bout. “I couldn't have done this without my brother and my dad, so I owe it all to them.”
“To be honest with you, I was hoping to finish it in the first round. OK, second round is good too. You know, he's a tough opponent. Respect to him, but I'm a little disappointed that I didn't execute my game plan earlier. But it's great that I was able to finish it in the second round.”
“It's awesome. I've been waiting for this moment forever and it's finally my turn and I'm so happy.”
Before the bout, the mixed martial artist hopeful spoke about dedicating his career to his late sister.
Lee was also one of three athletes who received a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong in recognition of their efforts at ONE 167.
In the main event, Tawanchai PK Saenchai defeated “Smokin’” Joe Nattawut by narrow majority decision after five hard-fought rounds to retain his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title.
The 25-year-old has won two of his two bouts with Natthawut in what was one of 2023’s most memorable fights under kickboxing rules.
ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II Full Results
– ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title: Tawanchai PK Saenchai (c) defeated Joe Nattawut by majority decision
– Catchweight (141.25 lbs) Kickboxing: Rodtang Jitmuangnon defeated Dennis Pulich by unanimous decision
– Bantamweight submission grappling: Mikey Musumeci defeated Gabriel Souza by submission (calf slicer), 3:07
– Lightweight MMA: Cade Ruotolo defeated Blake Cooper by submission (rear-naked choke), 1st round, 3:20
– Featherweight kickboxing: Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong defeats Masaaki Nojie by unanimous decision
– Women's atomweight MMA: Denise Zamboanga defeats Noelle Grandjean by unanimous decision
– Lightweight MMA: Adrian Lee defeated Antonio Mammarella by submission (rear-naked choke) in 1 minute, 56 seconds of the second round.
– Flyweight Muay Thai: Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat defeated Yohan Ghazali by unanimous decision
– Women's Atomweight MMA: Victoria Souza defeated Itsuki Hirata via guillotine choke, 1 minute, 31 seconds into the first round
– Bantamweight Muay Thai: Yohan Estupinan defeated Zafer Saik by unanimous decision
