Christian Lee (Chinese: 李胜龙, Korean: 이승용, born June 21, 1998) is a Canadian-born American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the lightweight and welterweight divisions of ONE Championship. He is the current and two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion, as well as the current ONE Welterweight World Champion. Concurrently holding both belts simultaneously, Lee is the fourth two-division champion in ONE history and holds the promotion's records for most wins (17), most finishes (16), and most knockouts (12). He was also the winner of the 2019 ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.
Lee is also a former pankrationist, where he was a multiple-time national and world champion, as well as a submission grappler.
On May 17, 2019, Lee defeated Shinya Aoki to win the ONE Lightweight World Championship for the first time. With his older sister Angela already holding the ONE Atomweight World Championship, they became the first brother-sister pair of mixed martial arts world champions. Their younger sister Victoria was also a mixed martial artist.
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Background
Born in Vancouver to a Chinese-Singaporean father and a South Korean-born Canadian mother, Lee moved to Hawaii when he was five years old. As both his parents are decorated martial artists, Lee started training in the sport from a young age. Lee's older sister Angela (born July 8, 1996, in Vancouver) is also an MMA fighter with ONE Championship and his younger brother, Adrian (born in Waipahu), also trains in martial arts. Lee's younger sister Victoria, who was also a mixed martial artist signed to ONE, died in 2022 at the age of 18.
At the 2012 USA Pankration national championships, Lee won two national titles and one silver medal. He also won the World Championship in the MMA division at the 2012 World Pangration Athlima Federation Championships.
Mixed martial arts career
Lee trains out of United MMA in Waipahu, Hawaii and Evolve MMA in Singapore, alongside his teammate and sister, Angela and her husband (and also his brother-in-law), Bruno Pucci, who also competes in ONE Championship's bantamweight division.
Lee made his amateur debut in 2015 at Star Elite Cage Fighting, where he defeated Avery Sanchis via first-round submission.
ONE Championship
At the age of 17, Lee signed with ONE Championship and made his promotional debut at ONE: Spirit of Champions on December 11, 2015, earning his first career win with a 29-second TKO of David Meak.
Lee followed that up by submitting Mahmoud Deab Mohamed in the first round with a kimura at ONE: Clash Of Heroes on January 29, 2016.
On March 18, 2016, he earned another first-round win against Anthony Engelen at ONE: Union of the Warriors with a TKO stoppage by punches and elbow in a catchweight bout.
At ONE: Ascent To Power on May 6, 2016, Lee improved to 4-0 when he submitted Cary Bullos in the opening round with a brabo choke.
Lee continued his streak of first-round finishes when he stopped Rocky Batolbatol by TKO at ONE: Kingdom Of Champions on May 27, 2016.
In his next match on August 13, 2016, Lee suffered his first professional defeat to rising featherweight Martin Nguyen at ONE Championship: Heroes of the World, losing in the first-round via a guillotine choke.
Lee rebounded by defeating Wan Jianping with a first-round TKO at ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny on April 21, 2017.
For the first time in his career, Lee was pushed to three rounds before finally submitting Keanu Subba with an armbar at ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness on August 18, 2017.
On December 9, 2017, at ONE Championship: Warriors of the World, Lee defeated former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku in the first round by TKO.
Lee submitted Kazunori Yokota in the second round at ONE Championship: Visions of Victory on March 9, 2018, to clinch his fourth straight win.
Personal life
Lee holds American and Canadian citizenship.
Lee and his wife Katie had their first child in April 2021.
Lee's older sister is fellow ONE World Champion Angela Lee, and his younger sister Victoria Lee made her successful professional MMA debut at the age of 16 on February 26, 2021. On January 7, 2023, it was revealed by his sister Angela that Victoria had died on December 26, 2022, at the age of 18. On September 19, 2023, his sister Angela confessed that she had attempted suicide in 2017 and that their youngest sister, Victoria had taken her own life in December 2022. Lee's younger brother Adrian Lee made his MMA debut for One Fighting Championship in 2024.
Championships and accomplishments
Pankration
World Pangration Athlima Federation (WPAF) World Championship
2012 Agon Men, Cadets, -60 kg — Gold
USA Pankration National Championship
2012 Youth, Age 12–13, -153 lb — Silver
USFL Pankration Championship
2013 Junior, Age 14–17, -140 lb — Gold
FILA Grappling World Championship
2013 Boys, Age 14–15, -66 kg — Gold
Grappling
FILA Grappling World Championship
2013 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boys, Age 14–15, -66 kg — Gold
FILA Grappling World Championship
2013 Submission Wrestling, Boys, Age 14–15, -66 kg — Gold
Mixed martial arts
ONE Championship
ONE Lightweight World Championship (Two times, current)
Three successful title defenses (Overall)
Two successful title defenses (First reign)
One successful title defense (Second reign)
ONE Welterweight World Championship (One time, current)
2019 ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Tournament Winner
Most wins in ONE history (17)
Most finishes in ONE history (16)
Most knockouts in ONE history (12)
Performance of the Night (Two time) vs. Ok Rae Yoon and Kiamrian Abbasov
Fourth double champion in ONE history
FILA Grappling World Championship
2013 Amateur MMA, Boys, Age 14–15, -66 kg — Gold