Athletes
A Dream Within Reach For ChangHo Lee
Road To UFC Finalist Stares Down His Destiny Saturday In Saudi Arabia
It may be just the opening fight of the UFC Saudi Arabia event this Saturday, but for ChangHo Lee, real hopes and dreams hang in the balance.
His bout vs Xiao Long serves as the bantamweight finale of Road To UFC’s second season. The thrilling tournament that awards some of Asia’s top-tier MMA talents with UFC contracts is already deep into its third season, and this particular bout is one that was supposed to be settled many months ago.
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“I am satisfied,” Lee says of the journey to date. “However, since it is a tournament, injuries and cancellations due to an opponent are somewhat disappointing.”
It’s hard not to be sympathetic to the disappointment. The native of Seoul, South Korea has repeatedly referred to the UFC as his “life goal,” and to have your opponent cancel at the 11th hour due to injury can be a hard pill to swallow. That’s what happened last February when the two were scheduled to meet in Las Vegas. Prior to that they were set to pair off in December 2023 before the fight was postponed. As he touches down in Saudi Arabia, Lee is hoping the third time is the charm.
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“I am like half excited and half nervous. I am just trying to focus until the end.”
Focus isn’t easily mastered, but Lee has demonstrated that he has it in abundance. Unlike most of his competitors in the tournament, Lee’s story stands out for what it doesn’t include, namely a résumé filled with achievements, titles in other promotions or even a lifelong history with martial arts. Just a few weeks past his 30th birthday, Lee is a testament to what a self-starter can achieve.
“In my 20s I was very weak, so I started to train to build my overall body,” he explains. “Honestly, I don’t think I am as talented as other fighters, but consistency is my talent. I still have a lot to learn and develop.”
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It might be here that his admirable modesty collides with verifiable facts. Since turning pro in 2017, Lee has compiled a 9-1 record, and he hasn’t just been winning, he’s been doing it decisively. Five of his nine wins have come by KO, specifically some brutal ground-and-pound he unleashes once he gets his opponents to the mat. He also owns a keylock submission from that same sort of attack. He takes inspiration from a former UFC champion.
“I respect Khabib Nurmagomedov because he does well in cage wrestling, grappling and chain wrestling, which I prefer to use in my fights,” he says.
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That’s a pretty great north star to follow. And he’ll need that kind of steely determination this Saturday. China’s Xiao boasts more than three times the number of bouts as Lee, and many of them in the notoriously tough WLF W.A.R.S. promotion. He’s riding an impressive win streak of his own, too. Lee, however, remains confident.
“This will be my breakout match which will show improvements in every aspect of my fight game,” he says confidently. “As I’ve said, my talent is consistency. I always trained hard without being mentally shaken.
And if he wakes up Sunday morning to find himself in the same division as Sean O’Malley, Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen?
“I believe that this is just the beginning. I think becoming a better, improved fighter will be a gift for me.”
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Aliskerov took place live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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