American Muay Thai standout Luke Lessei promises that he has more tools in his locker than what he’s shown so far in his ONE Championship career. But that won’t stop him from handing out a beating at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov.
“The Chef” faces French striker Bampara Kouyate in a featherweight Muay Thai contest as part of the stacked card on July 5 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Iowa native has put on a pair of memorable wars in his ONE career, resulting in a 1-1 mark so far. Despite endearing himself to the global fan base with his all-action displays, Lessei isn’t completely satisfied.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
This Friday, Lessei plans to show that he has world class technical skills to go with all the toughness that we’ve seen to date.
Luke Lessei hopes to show his technical skills at ONE Fight Night 23
Ultra-aggressive American striker Luke Lessei is planning to outclass his upcoming opponent, Bampara Kouyate, when he meets a Frenchman at ONE Fight Night 23.
The 28-year-old feels that he has the perfect dance partner to show off his pure Muay Thai skills with during his next fight.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Kouyate holds an impressive 33-2 record and is the reigning WMC European Muay Thai Champion, and a former French National Muay Thai Champion.
The 29-year-old made his ONE debut on short notice this past October, when he came up short by unanimous decision to Shakir Al-Tekreeti.