Cody Jerome makes his ONE Championship debut in a catchweight Muay Thai battle against Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 27. Jerome earned the opportunity by winning the Road to ONE: Canada tournament. Stepping up onto the global stage for the first time does not daunt the Canadian, who is looking to become the face of North American Muay Thai.
Cody Jerome Unfazed By ONE Spotlight
“I think this will decide who is the best in North America. All the respect to Luke. He’s had some amazing fights in ONE. I like his style. He’s very unorthodox. But yeah, we got a good game plan for him,” Cody Jerome told ONE.
Since arriving in ONE, Lessei has become one of the most exciting athletes in Muay Thai. He is a constant source of action, but those wars have also given Cody Jerome plenty of footage to break down. Ahead of their collision in Bangkok, Thailand, Jerome gave insight into where he thinks he can have the advantage.
"The Chef" is perfecting his meal 👨🍳👊 Do you think Luke Lessei's training will pay off in his fight against Cody Jerome at ONE Fight Night 27 on @primevideo?
#ONEFightNight27 | Jan 10 at 8PM ET
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Watch Live on Prime
🇬🇧🇮🇪 Watch Live on Sky Sports
🌍 Live TV… pic.twitter.com/xVP1q26SpO— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 10, 2025
Cody Jerome Goes into Film Room
“He’s very unorthodox. He’s very hard to mimic, right? So I’d say that’s where his strengths lie. He’s tall, lanky, and very, very unorthodox. He’s not traditional at all. Very, very awkward. His weaknesses – I don’t want to give too much away. My coaches have watched him quite a bit, and they’ve assessed his weaknesses, and we’re definitely going to exploit them. You will see his weaknesses on January 10,” Jerome remarked.
While Cody Jerome enters as a relative unknown, he is hoping this can be his breakout moment. He has the right opponent and platform for that to become a reality. The Canadian told fans they can expect a lot of action on Friday night.
“The fans are gonna see a very high-paced output from me. I have extremely good cardio. I don’t stop. I think I will drown him. Honestly, I think he will buckle like most of my opponents do. I think fans are gonna be very shocked by my output,” the Canadian offered.
Cody Jerome Needs To Turn Up Volume Friday Night
By stepping into ONE, Cody Jerome will now be facing the best strikers in the world. Although his Road to ONE: Canada performances gave a glimpse into what he can do, Jerome knows he has to step his game up. That is why he wants to be more tactical at ONE Fight Night 27 and not get drawn into all-out wars.
“These last three fights have been bangers, so my mindset going into this one is hopefully to not to continue with, like, the Fight of the Nights and the wars. Of course, whatever happens happens, and we’re ready for whatever. But, the mindset is a little more – not that it wasn’t strategic – but just really making sure I’m dialed in on a little bit more of a game plan, instead of just worrying about the talent and the skills that brought me to the dance,” the Road to ONE: Canada winner said.
While Lessei has been involved in wild encounters, Jerome quickly dispels the notion that he is a brawler. The Canadian talent compliments “The Chef” and all his tools. Still, the four-ounce gloves game-changer is something Jerome believes plays into the narrative.
Cody Jerome on Luke Lessei
“He’s not a brawler, but he’s an aggressive pressure fighter. I think that’s his main strength, his pace, and his pressure, but I don’t know. One thing I’ve learned is once you get up in these small gloves, it really doesn’t matter if you’re just a volume fighter. You could just get caught with one shot and go to sleep,” Jerome replied.
Being the underdog gives Jerome a chance to make a splash in his debut without the pressure of having to steal the show. The Road to ONE: Canada winner has been able to focus on improving without the spotlight being firmly on his shoulders. That all could change if his plan is executed in U.S. primetime as he announces himself to the world.
“If you’ve been fighting for your whole life, you’ve dealt with people that go crazy and put a lot of pressure on you. So, if I’m thinking negative about that, that just leaves my mind ASAP. I gotta think about the positives and the things I wanna land and the things I’ve been practicing because I wanna put the pressure on him. I wanna put the volume on him. I wanna be moving, and juking, and jabbing, and keeping him at range. So, it’s not even like I’m focusing on what he does as a fighter,” Cody Jerome said.
ONE Fight Night 27 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, January 10. The action begins at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
