Double Champ Christian Lee Applauds Legal Grounded Knees, Shares His Future Plans

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Two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee is elated after defending his lightweight crown against arch-rival Alibeg Rasulov in a heated rematch at ONE 173 on 16 November in Tokyo, Japan, highlighting the impact of ONE Championship's global MMA rule set.

It took the 27-year-old Singaporean-American only 2:32 in the second round to demolish the previously undefeated Turkish fighter via TKO. Lee defended Rasulov's takedowns expertly and landed damaging leg kicks and punches throughout the contest.

In the second round, as the 32-year-old Rasulov attempted another takedown, Lee sprawled perfectly and secured a D'Arce choke. The champion then unleashed a devastating barrage of ground knees that forced the referee to stop the fight immediately.

The two-division king credits ONE Championship's global MMA rule set for allowing him to showcase his complete skill set. The legality of knees to grounded opponents proved decisive in this title defense, as Lee utilized them to devastating effect once he secured dominant position.

"I love the ONE Championship rule set. I think that knees to a grounded opponent is MMA in the purest sense. The sport was designed to figure out who the best fighter in the world is across any discipline," Lee said.

"And I believe with mixed martial arts, you're able to prove that you're the best fighter in the world. And with the martial arts, with the ONE Championship rule set, it allows me to put that on perfectly, so I'm very grateful for it."

Lee's finish marked his 17th stoppage victory in 18 career fights, demonstrating his exceptional finishing ability across both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. The champion now has the most wins in ONE Championship history, standing at an impressive 18 victories.

Looking ahead, the two-division king plans to remain active in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Lee awaits word on clear contenders in each weight class before determining where he'll compete next, though his focus leans toward welterweight.

"I'm staying active in both divisions. And once I get word on who the clear contender is, then I'll be getting ready for that division. I do have my eyes set on the welterweight division, and right now I'll be waiting on who the next opponent is," Lee said.