Luke Lessei has been a revelation in ONE Championship.
After an incredible debut against Jo Nattawut, the American notched his first victory in the promotion with a win over Eddie Abasolo. Now, he’s looking to cook up something special for his featherweight Muay Thai bout against Bampara Kouyate at ONE Fight Night 23 on Friday, July 5.
“I’m going to beat the brakes off this dude. I’m going to go in there and show that there’s absolutely levels to this creativity and this muay femur game that everyone’s talking about,” Lessei flatly stated to ONE.
His firefights against Nattawut and Abasolo have been entertaining, but those wars take their toll.
It is also not the style that Lessei wants to portray every time he steps foot inside the ring. So, he plans to show his wits just as much as his heart when he enters Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok this Friday.
“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 kind of been showing my Midwest mentality, my toughness, good stuff here and there,” Lessei noted.
“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.”
Another win for “The Chef” would continue to elevate him in the red-hot featherweight Muay Thai division.
Knowing the race for a title shot is competitive, he wants to grab his first highlight-reel finish on the global stage.
“I always want to 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,” Lessei remarked.
“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 going to be another barnburner.”
ONE Fight Night 23 is also special for the Iowan because of who will be in his corner.
His father and longtime coach is making the journey to the Thai capital to help his son achieve his martial arts dreams.
Lessei is proud and motivated to turn his next match into a family affair, and he wants to walk out of Lumpinee with both of their arms raised proudly.
“Me and my dad have been working really hard. It’s going to be a culmination of all the shit that we’ve been cooking up for years,” he said.
“Me and my dad, it’s just me and him going solo. He’s going to be cornering me out in Thailand.”
“Father and son, we’re going to beat this guy’s ass.”
ONE Fight Night 23 airs live and free on Prime Video on Friday, July 5. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.