ONE 173 preview and prediction: Christian Lee vs. Alibeg Rasulov

(From left) Christian Lee and Alibeg Rasulov run it back at ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan.
Christian Lee (left) and Alibeg Rasulov (right) run it back at ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan. [Image courtesy: ONE Championship]

Unfinished business will be settled when two-division ONE MMA world champion Christian Lee defends his lightweight crown against undefeated Turkish slugger Alibeg Rasulov in a rematch.

Ad

The 27-year-old Singaporean-American superstar faces the 32-year-old challenger at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, Nov. 16, almost one year on since their first encounter.

For 'The Warrior', defending his crown would extend his record for most finishes in ONE Championship history and silence critics who questioned whether the first fight was truly trending in his direction.

The defending king has been in amazing form on the global stage of the promotion, winning 17 of his 21 assignments since debuting as a teenage prodigy in December 2015.

Ad

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Meanwhile, Rasulov enters with his unblemished 14-0 record and the determination to leave the Circle with one of the biggest upsets of the night. The Hyperion Fighters athlete enjoyed a victorious debut against former divisional king Ok Rae Yoon before his first scrap with Lee months later.

Here's our official prediction for this ONE lightweight MMA world title rematch inside the Japanese capital city this Sunday, Nov. 16.

Ad

Fight fans can catch this epic clash and the entire ONE 173 card via pay-per-view. Secure your PPV passes here.


Prediction: Christian Lee via third-round knockout

Christian Lee will do what he does best on fight night inside the Japanese capital city. But I expect Rasulov to remind Lee that he won't have it easy at all.

I see the first round being a scrap, with both men throwing everything at one another. Christian Lee will survive and eat plenty of shots while establishing his game plan and measuring his opponent's timing.

Ad

Lee will shift into gear in Round 2 and begin to mix things up – switching levels, varying his attacks, and trying to put Rasulov on the back foot.

The Turkish challenger's efficiency on the canvas might frustrate Lee as he searches for submission opportunities that don't materialize immediately, but I see the champion doing enough to find solutions elsewhere by the third round.

Christian Lee will plot his path to the finish in the third canto. I expect Rasulov to come out guns blazing in an attempt to take control of the fight, and 'The Warrior' will make the most of the slightest opening to land the decisive blow.

Ad

The Hawaii-based athlete rarely misses the mark when a chance for the finish presents itself, and he should have it in him to land a flurry of strikes on his way to a 17th highlight-reel finish on martial arts' grandest stage.

What's your official prediction for this world title matchup? Share it below!

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Quick Links

Edited by Aziel Karthak
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications