Adrian “The Phenom” Lee will soon return to action for his second professional fight – and second appearance in ONE – when he squares off with Colorado native Nico “The Steel City Kid” Cornejo in a hotly anticipated lightweight MMA bout at ONE 168: Denver.

Set to go down live in U.S. primetime on September 6 at Ball Arena, that contest will be another chance for Lee to showcase his prodigious talents on ONE’s massive global platform.

The story of Adrian Lee, the rising star in ONE Championship

The younger brother to current two-division MMA titleholder Christian “The Warrior” Lee and former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, “The Phenom” arrived at the world’s largest martial arts organization with a massive hype train.

He quickly lived up to that hype, scoring a dominant, second-round submission win over Italy’s Antonio Mammarella in June at ONE 167. Given his family pedigree, coupled with his extensive amateur MMA background and impressive accomplishments as a high school wrestler, it’s no small surprise that the martial arts world has high expectations for Lee.

At just 18 years old, though, he is still finding his way into adulthood. Close by his side as he enters the world of elite mixed martial arts is his high school sweetheart. Lee spoke about his girlfriend and how she motivates him:

“Me and my girlfriend, we met a few years ago in high school and we’d been friends, and we just started dating a year ago. It means a lot to me, and it gives me another reason why I want to get to the top, and I’m grateful to have her by my side.”

Adrian Lee talks about his girlfriend

After spending practically his entire life training at a high level in MMA, Lee says he’s developed a certain maturity that’s uncharacteristic of most teens. That maturity has helped him in his relationship with his girlfriend: “I think that the maturity that MMA brings me definitely has helped evolve and shape me as a person and definitely helps me have an open mind and understand things better.”

Even though Lee’s girlfriend has no aspirations of stepping into MMA herself, she understands the amount of time and dedication it takes to succeed at an elite level. Now just weeks away from his return at ONE 168, “The Phenom” is feeling grateful for the support of his better half:

He further added, “I’m very grateful to have her because she’s very supportive, and she understands the fight game and what it takes to get into it. She understands the balance and why sometimes I have to put more into MMA or the other way around.”