"This is a brutal sport" - Christian Lee says MMA should allow more banned techniques because it's real fighting

Christian Lee embraces the violent reality of mixed martial arts and believes fewer restrictions create more authentic combat.

At ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, Nov. 16, the two-division ONE MMA world champion defends his lightweight crown against undefeated Turkish bruiser Alibeg Rasulov in a rematch inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the 27-year-old Prodigy Training Center and Evolve MMA megastar opened up about ONE Championship's ruleset that allows techniques banned in other major promotions – including knees to grounded opponents – and why he believes the sport benefits from fewer limitations.

"Yeah, absolutely. The more the merrier. And when you take these fighters that are specifically looking at the fight and just however they can knock their opponent out, however they can submit them the fastest, you see guys pull out these, you know, it looks like they're just, they're not even thinking about it. They're just throwing the knee right in wrestling range where guys would normally be safe," Christian Lee told SCMP.

His observation highlights how banned techniques in other promotions create artificial safety zones that don't exist in actual combat situations.

"I think it's those split-second changes in a fight when there are those knees on the ground allowed that really can be a big variable. So I'm happy that we got the knees on the ground. Yeah, I was there since they had soccer kicks on the ground, and I was able to throw them as well. So it's just, man, this is a brutal sport. We're in here. We're trying to take each other's heads off. We're trying to knock each other out and submit them," he added.

Watch Christian Lee's full online interview with SCMP below:

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Christian Lee out to continue where he had left off vs. Alibeg Rasulov

After seeing his first clash against Rasulov end due to an accidental low blow, Christian Lee is determined to make a statement when he runs it back against the undefeated Turk challenger at ONE 173.

'The Warrior', in the same interview with SCMP, revealed that he'll waste no time making his intentions known in this hotly anticipated sequel.

"Going into this fight, I'll be looking to pick up right where I left off. There'll be no need for a feeling out process," the Hawaii-based martial artist continued.

Could Christian Lee extend his reign atop the lightweight mountain, or will Rasulov continue to remain undefeated and earn the biggest scalp of his resume at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri? Let us know below!

Combat sports enthusiasts can follow this link to secure their pay-per-view passes for the world's largest martial arts organization's epic fight night in the Ariake Arena this Sunday, Nov. 16.