The 27-year-old defended his ONE lightweight MMA world championship with a second-round TKO stoppage at 2:32, securing a D’Arce choke and finishing with grounded knees. Lee improved to 18-4 with 17 career finishes and earned a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The rematch provided a definitive result after their first meeting ended due to an inadvertent eye poke. Rasulov attempted early takedowns in the opening round, but Lee defended and returned to his feet to control the striking exchanges.
When Rasulov shot for another takedown in the second round, Lee sprawled and locked in the D’Arce choke before delivering the finishing sequence.
The Prodigy Training Center representative credited ONE Championship’s rule set for allowing
him to showcase his finishing ability.
“I love the ONE Championship ruleset,” Lee said.
“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.
“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 holds titles at both lightweight and welterweight and plans to remain active across both divisions in 2026, with welterweight taking priority for his next defense.
“I’m staying active in both divisions,” Lee said.
“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.”
