Luke Lessei gets another chance to stand out when he returns on Friday, July 5. At ONE Fight Night 23, the ONE Championship striker will take on Bampara Kouyate in a Muay Thai showcase in Bangkok live on Prime Video. “The Chef” is confident he will walk out with the win.
“I’m gonna beat the brakes off this dude. I’m gonna go in there and show that there’s absolutely levels to this creativity and this muay femur game that everyone’s talking about,” Lessei emphatically stated to ONE.
In his two outings on the global stage, Lessei has wowed audiences with his grittiness. Against Jo Nattawut, Lessei showed his heart to a global audience. However, the American star does not want that to become his calling card and instead wants to show his ability to deliver beautiful Muay Thai.
“I’m hoping every fight gets a little more technical because then I can show my actual flight IQ and my skills. My last few fights, I’ve kinda been showing my Midwest mentality, my toughness, good stuff here and there. But this guy, Bampara Kouyate, he’s like 6-foot-2, same height as me, a muay femur. So he’s technical. He likes to wait, counter, set up techniques, and that’s the same as me. I love a good chess match,” Lessei remarked.
Unsurprisingly, Lessei has no plans to go to the scorecards. Every athlete wants to finish their matches, but “The Chef” has even bigger goals. A huge finish could catapult him into title contention.
At ONE 169: Atlanta, Nattawut will challenge for the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship against Tawanchai PK Saenchai. An impactful win for Lessei could make a rematch enticing. With eyes on the prize, Lessei wants a standout performance inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
“I always wanna make the decision on who wins and who loses. My decision, not the judges’. So I’m going for the knockout. Every single time, I’m going for the knockout whether I get it or not. You best believe, even until the very end, I’m trying to set something up. I’m trying to put this dude to sleep for sure. And if not, guess what? It’s probably gonna be another barnburner,” Lessei said.
To make the night even more special, Lessei will have his father in his corner. His father has coached him from an early age. He views this opportunity as a way for the two to continue their martial arts journey together. A win would taste a little more sweet on the heels of Father’s Day.
“Me and my dad have been working really hard. It’s gonna be a culmination of all the s*** that we’ve been cooking up for years. Me and my dad, it’s just me and him going solo. He’s gonna be cornering me out in Thailand. Father and son, we’re gonna beat this guy’s a**,” Lessei stated.
ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov airs live on Prime Video on Friday, July 5. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event airs for free to all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
