The golden lineage of the Lee clan is unlike anything else in the world of MMA. Many families are ingrained in the all-encompassing sport, but none have seen more dominance in the modern era. Angela and Christian Lee cemented themselves as top stars in ONE Championship almost from the start of their promotional tenures. And now, the next generation is set to arrive in the form of 18-year-old Adrian Lee.

The young star is set to make his professional MMA debut against Antonio Mammarella at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Saturday, 8th June, at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and it can’t come soon enough for him. 

“Turning pro wasn’t my decision to make. Whatever my coach said, I was ready to go. I was ready to take it,” Lee said.

“I feel like I’ve been ready to enter the pro circuit for a while. However, it’s just now that my coaches believe that my skills are ready for it. That’s the reason why I started.”

As well as benefiting from the world-class coaching available at United MMA, Lee is lucky enough to have gotten tips and advice on his burgeoning career from siblings Angela – who ruled over the ONE women’s atomweight MMA division from 2016 until her retirement last September – and reigning two-weight king Christian. 

They have assisted the teen in establishing a solid mindset and helped him to keep things in perspective as he moves forward into the next chapter.

“My brother, he’s been here with me every step of the way. And the main thing he tells me is to stay focused on the goal and don’t let anything distract you,” Lee said. 

“Angela told me a little bit about staying mentally sound, to make sure that you keep your mental health and physical health in check.”

Since the announcement of Lee’s signing with ONE Championship, his promotional bow has been a popular topic of conversation amongst fans. And given its placement on one of the biggest cards of the year at ONE 167, there’ll be plenty of eyes on him when he makes his way to the Circle in the Thai capital.

It could be intimidating for someone who has yet to feel the heat of the bright lights, but the American up-and-comer is staying focused on the task at hand. 

That said, after he scores his first professional win, Lee has big ideas for where he wants to go.

“Right now, the only thing on my mind is beating Antonio Mammarella,” Lee stated. 

“However, after that, I plan on becoming the lightweight champ and possibly two-division champ.”

Aussie powerhouse Reece McLaren believes he’s on the cusp of fighting for the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title, but he wants to put an old rivalry to bed first.

The #4-ranked contender secured his fourth win in as many fights when he bested Hu Yong by split decision in their matchup at ONE Fight Night 22 last Saturday, 4th May, and he has his mind set on his course of action from here.

McLaren suffered a narrow defeat to #3-ranked Danny Kingad when they clashed at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in 2019, which continues to sting him. Thus, he believes they need to run it back for him to have a clear path to the divisional throne.

“I think everyone knows I won that fight. I think he’s been hiding up in the mountains ever since I’ve been calling for that fight,” he said. 

“Like I said, I’m not here to wait in any line. I’m not here to play any game. I want that belt, man. I want my flyweight belt.”

“Lightning” is a ONE Championship veteran. He’s taken part in 16 fights across his nine-year tenure and never failed to entertain. As such, he’s ready to feel some love from the promotion. 

His weight bracket is stacked with immense talent, so it might be easy for one or two stars to fall through the cracks. But McLaren feels his time has been here for a while now, and he wants to shoot for his dream.

“I feel that I am, at any stage, on any win, one step away from that World Title shot. Regardless of being ranked or not ranked. I’ve been in ONE now for nearly nine years, [with] 10 wins. I was meant to fight for the flyweight belt back in 2016. You know what I mean? So it’s been a long run,” he said.  

“It’s been a long journey, man. I feel like I’ve paid my dues. It’s time to start getting appreciated for what we do here in ONE. The best flyweights in the world are in ONE Championship. I have been saying that for years.” 

Veteran striker Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong has become a staple of ONE Championship’s lightweight Muay Thai division over the last year, but he’ll shift focus to a new sport this weekend.

At ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova this Saturday, 4th May, the Thai star will strap on the big gloves to compete in kickboxing for the first time in ONE against Bogdan Shumarov inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. 

Rungrawee has put together a 4-1 slate in the Muay Thai ranks, taking out names like Nauzet Trujillo, Vladimir Gabov, and Shakir Al-Tekreeti along the way. His next clash may be a step outside his comfort zone, but the Sitsongpeenong man believes he’s ready for anything. 

“I am a person who never underestimates my opponents. I will do my best on stage. I will fight according to the game plan. If he has a trump card to show, I’m ready to adapt,” Rungrawee said. 

“It’s definitely me who kicks better than him. We’ve practiced Muay Thai kicks since we were kids. The thing that gives him an advantage over me is his punches. I study him all the time. He’s only good at punching people.”

Shumarov has put a strong showing together thus far in ONE Championship. His two finishes from as many fights have announced the Bulgarian brawler as a contender to Alexis Nicolas’ newly acquired divisional gold, and he’ll be out to cement that on Saturday.

With that in mind, Rungrawee knows he’ll need to be at the top of his game to walk away with the win. But he intends to cause an upset and snatch a bit of extra cash while doing it. 

After that, the 28-year-old will set his eyes on the ultimate prize.

“The goal for this fight is to win by knockout. In my mind, I want to get another bonus,” Rungrawee stated.  

“If I can knock Bogdan out, I think I would like to fight for the ONE World Title.”