ONE Championship: Christian Lee cements lightweight legacy by destroying Iuri Lapicus at Inside the Matrix
- Young gun defends lightweight title with devastating display in first-round TKO in Singapore co-main event
- ‘The way I train, the way my team trains, we go for the finish,’ 22-year-old prodigy Lee says
Christian Lee stamped his class all over the ONE Championship lightweight division on Friday night, putting the doubters – and opponent Iuri Lapicus – to bed in the first round of their clash on the Inside the Matrix card in Singapore.
The 22-year-old wonder (14-3) had heard the calls from the peanut gallery that the lightweight wasn’t his true division, ever since he upset Japanese veteran Shinya Aoki (45-9, one no contest) to take the belt last May.
But he has brushed them aside as easily as he did the challenge of the previously unbeaten Lapicus (14-1), and the TKO was called with 2.19 gone on the clock.
What a moment, he said inside the Circle, and what a moment it was to announce that – just like his sister and ONE atomweight queen Angela Lee (10-2) – he’d soon be welcoming his first child into the world, alongside his wife Katie.
“I feel amazing,” he said. “It’s amazing to be back in Singapore, my second home. I had an amazing time. This victory is 100 per cent thanks to my dad and my coach [Ken Lee].
“I wouldn’t be anything without him. I certainly would not have this belt around my shoulder if not having my dad with me every step of the way.
“My beautiful wife is waiting at the hotel for me and we’re also going to be having our first baby and I’m so proud to share that with the world.”