Shinya Aoki Set To Face Christian Lee in Singapore

It seems to be a case of ask and you shall receive for new ONE Championship lightweight titleholder Shinya Aoki.

At the post-fight press conference for ONE: A NEW ERA, the Japanese veteran called out former featherweight title challenger Christian Lee.

It seems his words struck a chord with the ONE matchmakers. Aoki is now set to meet Lee on May 17 in Singapore. Their clash will form the main event for ONE: Enter The Dragon. The news was made official today by ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong on his Facebook page.

Lee is a five-time Pankration World Champion as well as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. The 20-year-old is one of the Singapore-based promotion’s brightest prospects and the younger sibling of ONE Atomweight Champion Angela Lee.

In 2018, Lee fought for the ONE Featherweight title. He came up short in his bout with reigning champion Martin Nguyen. It was the second time he had lost to Nguyen, and the defeat left him in a state of limbo.

So the callout has come at the perfect time for Lee. It was hard picturing where his next challenge would come from. Outside of Nguyen, there are currently few featherweight athletes at his level. Aoki has been on an absolute tear lately. He’s riding a four-fight winning streak with all four victories coming in the opening round.

The stacked card will feature the promotional debut of Sage Northcutt. It will also showcase the opening round of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.