When ONE Lightweight World Champion Ok Rae Yoon defends his belt against top contender and former titlist Christian “The Warrior” Lee at ONE 160 on Friday, it will dictate what happens next in the stacked weight class.
While a win for Lee could mean a trilogy match for the pair, a win for Ok would open the entire division up and could lead to newer rivalries being formed.
So, what would a win for the South Korean mean for the entire division? Let’s take a look.
Dagi Gets His Shot
Saygid Guseyn “Dagi” Arslanaliev believes he got next – and a win for Ok could very well lead him there.
The Dagestani athlete is coming off a thrilling TKO win over Timofey Nastyukhin and is hell-bent on getting the next World Title shot. Currently ranked number two in the division, he’s certainly next in line, especially if Ok ends the Lee chapter in convincing fashion.
It will certainly be an interesting matchup should it happen.
Both fighters are comfortable exchanging on the feet, albeit in different styles. Ok is known for his counter-punching and Dagi favors his aggressive, pedal-to-the-metal approach to striking.
Lee Gets Another Big Fight Next
A loss for Lee wouldn’t be the end of the world for the Singaporean-American. In case fans have forgotten, “The Warrior” is only 24 years old and has his whole future ahead of him.
While another loss for Lee would take him out of the World Title picture for awhile, that doesn’t mean he can’t climb the ladder once again.
But World Title fight or not, there are plenty of big fights lined up for Lee. He could face with multi-time World Champion Eddie Alvarez or even Russian powerhouse and #5-ranked lightweight contender Saygid Izagakhmaev.
Either way, Lee won’t have a shortage of great fights ahead of him.
Trilogy
While an Ok win would logically pit him against a new challenger, that’s not a guarantee, especially if his next fight with Lee is as close as their first encounter.
Think of the Pacquiao – Marquez rivalry in boxing, where “Pacman” won consecutive bouts and still had to face the Mexican again because their fights could have gone either way.
It seems like Ok and Lee’s styles truly complement each other, with Ok utilizing his length and movement and Lee relying on his aggression and pace. If the second match is as good as the first one, then no one would complain if a trilogy happens.
Whatever goes down on 26 August, the future of the lightweight division certainly hangs in the balance of ONE 160’s main event.
Also, fans can also catch ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on One Sports and One Sports+ starting with the lead card at 8 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Saturday, 27 August. The main card will follow on One Sports and One Sports+ at 10 a.m. PHT.
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