It’s been over two years since Christian Lee has competed in ONE Championship. The hiatus will finish on Friday, December 6, at ONE Battle Evening 26. “The Warrior” will defend the ONE Light-weight MMA World Championship in opposition to Alibeg Rasulov in the principle occasion, reside on Prime Video.
Lee has not been resting throughout his layoff. He has been giving again to his group in Hawaii, all within the title of his late sister, Victoria. The mission to present again has fueled a brand new ardour for ensuring children have a protected place after faculty’s closing bell.
“I had one other nonprofit enterprise. I opened it up and known as it Prodigy Group Middle. The purpose was to mainly take children from after faculty, who can’t afford coaching, and provides them a spot earlier than the lessons to do their homework, to hang around, after which to coach within the lessons without cost. After which have a experience dwelling if they’ll’t get picked up by their mother and father. That was the principle factor that drove every little thing,” Lee defined to ONE.
The return of Christian Lee to defend his ONE Light-weight MMA World Title in opposition to Alibeg Rasulov is now your official most important occasion for ONE Battle Evening 26 on @primevideo! 🤩 Will the two-division king make a profitable comeback on December 6?#ONEFightNight26 | Dec 6 at 8PM… pic.twitter.com/1icRpcu5kg
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 28, 2024
United MMA was closed, and Lee established a brand new health club from scratch. Prodigy Coaching Middle, named after his sister’s nickname, was established, and it’s the place Lee helped coach his brother, Adrian, forward of his ONE debut. In full swing, Lee continues to be engaged on rising the enterprise as a spot for aspiring martial artists and hobbyists alike.
“We’re build up the health club. We’re attempting to develop all of the lessons and get it to some extent the place we can’t solely assist everybody, the entire workers and the coaches that we have now on board – however then instantly flip round and provides again to the group in a fair larger manner than serving to the youngsters and adults who’re already coaching, however doing a little nonprofit group work, as properly,” the two-division king stated.
The title of the health club carries a whole lot of weight, and Lee has been proud to see the title and emblem on his athletes’ shirts. At ONE Battle Evening 26, “The Warrior” will get his first alternative to adorn the brand when he returns to motion. It symbolizes what he nonetheless fights for out and in of the health club.
“Clearly, the title got here from my sister’s nickname, and it’s only a small tribute for her within the sense of, you realize, we’re persevering with to go to work and simply have a chunk of her remembrance with us. It’s good to see everybody strolling round within the health club carrying Prodigy shirts and see Adrian going on the market representing it. I’m wanting ahead to carrying it in my fights, as properly. It’s an incredible which means behind what we’re doing,” Lee detailed.
The 2-division World Champion has already seen how necessary a efficiency could be to his college students. After watching his brother win twice in ONE competitors, he has seen the scholars grow to be extra impressed. At ONE Battle Evening 26, “The Warrior” will attempt to add to that inspiration with one other title protection.
“When Adrian and I’m going in there and compete and win, it reveals them firsthand that the coaching and the talents that they’re studying each day actually work. Main as much as Adrian’s struggle, we coated a whole lot of the sequences that he did that led to the end in lessons. A number of our college students would say after we come again, ‘That’s precisely what you taught in school, and that’s what coach Adrian pulled off in his struggle!’ I believe it’s nice,” Lee acknowledged.
In the long run, Lee hopes to make Prodigy Coaching Middle a go-to spot for the subsequent era of elite MMA athletes. The ONE Light-weight and Welterweight World Champion loves his function as head coach and plans to information expertise to the worldwide stage. As a defending champion, he’s the beacon of what’s attainable.
“Not solely in my preventing profession, however in my teaching profession, my purpose is to see our fighters flip professional, do properly, after which ultimately make it into ONE Championship. And shortly, we’ll have a complete crew of Prodigy representing on one of many ONE playing cards,” the returning champ stated.
ONE Battle Evening 26 airs reside on Friday, December 6, on Prime Video. The motion begins at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The occasion is free for all Amazon Prime members within the U.S. and Canada.
