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Tom Taylor

A ONE Championship lightweight title rematch between Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee is getting closer to fruition.
“Verbally, the rematch is going to take place,” Lee, 23, told the Post from his home in Hawaii. “We just don’t have a time. We don’t have a location.”
Lee (15-4) and Ok (16-3) first met at ONE: Revolution in September. The pair battled for five competitive rounds, with South Korea’s Ok, 30, ultimately swiping the title with a unanimous decision victory.
That verdict was the subject of widespread controversy, with Lee among its loudest sceptics.


“Over four months later, there’s no more emotions in it,” he said. “I watched the fight back many times. Every time I see that I won the fight.”
Lee’s hotly debated loss to Ok was investigated by ONE Championship’s internal review panel, but the decision was not overturned.
Lee never expected the result to be changed, but hoped the promotion’s investigation into the verdict would draw attention to its questionable nature.

“It’s nice that they went ahead and brought it to a review in the first place, which means that the point was valid,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be overturned. In sports it’s almost never going to happen. The way it went down, they hand the belt over to the other guy already, they make the decision. It’s not going to be overturned.”
“I just wanted to make a point,” he added. “It was just more to kind of prove that even within the company there’s a lot of people that felt I won the fight.”
Lee will have the opportunity to right this perceived wrong when he steps into the cage with Ok for a second time.
Christian Lee says Angela in ‘best shape of life’, Victoria could move up
After struggling with his rival’s defensive style the first time around, Lee is determined to focus more on his own game in the rematch.
“I feel that Ok Rae-yoon, his biggest strength is the fact he carries such a defensive posture,” Lee said. “He stays right at the end of your punches and he really likes to play that defensive game, running around the whole time. Then at the very end of the fight, he likes to turn it on, get the judges’ scorecards, then try to win the fight that way. That’s been his strategy in all of his fights in ONE Championship so far.
“Rather than going in there and chasing him, giving him what he wants in the rematch, I think everyone’s going to see it’s going to be a very different fight. I’m not going to chase him.”

While Lee plans to employ a different strategy in this planned rematch, he is expecting more of the same from Ok – contrary to any promises to the contrary we might hear from the champion ahead of time.
“He’s going to say that he wants to finish me this time,” Lee said. “He’s going to say that he wants to knock me out. But I really feel like he is going to try to play the exact same game to lead to the same outcome, which is a five-round, close decision in his favour.”
David Branch signed to one-fight deal with ONE Championship
One way or the other, Lee is determined to reclaim the ONE lightweight title before the year is out, and restart a championship reign that began with impressive stoppage wins over Shinya Aoki, Iuri Lapicus and Timofey Nastyukhin.
“I’ve accepted that what’s happened has already happened,” he said. “I’m just continuing to enjoy my life, continuing to stay ready so that when the time comes and we fight again I’m going to make it very absolute in how the fight goes.”
“I’m going to beat him at his own game,” he added. “I’m going to beat him everywhere.”


ONE Championship: Yod-IQ Pimolsri secures contract, eyes rematch with Abdulla Dayakaev

ONE Championship: Superbon insists his longevity, success are rooted in discipline over sacrifice

ONE Championship: Mohammad Siasarani finally gets coveted contract – now he wants the belt

ONE Championship: Liu Mengyang believes win over Tawanchai is ‘turning point of my career’

ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Christian Lee says Ok Rae-yoon rematch is ‘verbally’ agreed to; vows ‘I’m going to beat him everywhere’

Ok Rae-yoon’s arm is raised after his unanimous decision win against Christian Lee. Photos: ONE Championship

Ok Rae-yoon celebrates his lightweight title win against Christian Lee at ONE: Revolution.

Christian Lee pressures Ok Rae-yoon against the cage.

ONE Championship: Anatoly Malykhin, Kirill Grishenko question ‘chicken’ Arjan Bhullar’s reign ahead of interim heavyweight title fight

Anatoly Malykhin (left) and Kirill Grishenko fight for the interim heavyweight title at ONE: Bad Blood. Photos: ONE Championship

Arjan Bhullar celebrates with his mace and the ONE heavyweight title. Photo: Dux Carvajal/ONE Championship

Anatoly Malykhin celebrates his win over Alexandre Machado.

ONE Championship: Christian Lee says Angela Lee ‘in best shape of her life’, predicts Victoria Lee will move to strawweight

Christan Lee (left) and Angela Lee (right) celebrate with younger sister Victoria Lee after she signs with Evolve MMA. Photo: Instagram/@victorialeemma

Christian Lee celebrates after beating Timofey Nastyukhin.

Angela Lee holds her ONE atomweight title inside the Circle.

Victoria Lee celebrates her win over Victoria Souza.

ONE Championship: David Branch signed to one-fight deal, ‘we can talk for real’ if former UFC star impresses says Chatri Sityodtong

David Branch poses during a training session. Photo: David Branch on Instagram

ONE Championship: Bibiano Fernandes looks to ‘move forward’ as Covid-19 rules John Lineker out; promotion trying to rebook title fight for next event

John Lineker (left) is out of Friday’s ONE: Bad Blood main event against Bibiano Fernandes. Photos: ONE Championship

Bibiano Fernandes with his title at a ONE press conference.

ONE Championship: Arjan Bhullar finally agrees new deal; heavyweight title unification fight set for summer

Arjan Bhullar celebrates after winning the ONE heavyweight title. Photo: Dux Carvajal/ONE Championship

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


Former ONE lightweight champ says second fight with South Korean already set, but ‘we just don’t have a time’
‘The Warrior’ Lee vows to avenge controversial decision loss – and reclaim the title – in emphatic fashion



Former ONE Championship lightweight king says second fight with South Korean already set – ‘we just don’t have a time’ – as he vows to reclaim title in emphatic fashion.
