Christian Lee - Peruvian Necktie (Photo : ONE Championship)
Top featherweight prospects Christian "The Warrior" Lee (2-0) and Malaysia's Keanu Subba (3-1) will do battle in a much-awaited three-round bout at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS which takes place 18 March at the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
Both Lee and Subba are ONE Championship's fastest rising flyweights, and now they are on a collision course to determine who advances their careers.
Lee, younger brother of Angela "Unstoppable" Lee, has impressed in his first two outings in ONE Championship. The young prospect is riding the momentum of two stoppage wins inside the ONE Cage, one by highlight reel knockout and the other by crafty submission.
Lee looks to continue his early success but will face a stern test when he takes on Subba in a bout which could steal the whole show.
"This fight is very exciting for me, because I know Keanu [Subba] is a fellow young and hungry prospect," said Lee. "I think this will be a crucial fight in establishing my ranking in the featherweight division."
Lee, who trains at United MMA in Hawaii and at Evolve-MMA in Singapore, is a fast and powerful striker with elite-level grappling skills. He is a former Pankration world champion and in his first two fights for ONE Championship, he's proven that he can compete in the big leagues despite being the youngest fighter on the roster.
Subba is much the same with equally great potential, which is what makes this fight between two young bucks so compelling.
"It's going to be an action-packed fight. I'm ready to throw leather," said Subba. "I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes."
At just 21-years of age, Subba is a former amateur MMA champion and is one of the most promising talents. He is on a three-fight win streak that saw him stop fellow Malaysian Rayner Kinsiong by technical knockout in his last bout. With momentum in his favor, the promising young Subba faces the biggest test of his young career.
"[Christian] is a nice kid, well rounded. This fight is going to be a treat for the fans," said Subba.
This fight is one that will surely produce epic fireworks and one that fans will not want to miss. Both Lee and Subba are on the cusp of breakout performances and now, they have the stage to give fans exactly that.
For Subba, the fight represents an opportunity to put a large feather in his cap by defeating an opponent many feel is the future of MMA in Asia. For Lee, beating Subba is necessary to be able to get where he wants to be, and that's at the top of the sport.
"I know that Keanu is a fellow up and coming prospect in ONE Championship," said Lee. "I wish him all the best in his future fights, but for now, he's just another opponent standing in my way."
