After 16 months out of the ring, the 2019 "dark horse" Kevin Lee finally returned to the ONE Championship. In the ring at the Mall of Asia Manila on November 8, Kevin Lee koed OPMMA featherweight champion Paul Lumisi in just 2 minutes and 40 seconds, bringing the long-awaited KO of boxing fans. Not only did he knock out his opponents during the match, but he also broke Lumisi's nose and jaw into crushing fractures. The foreign commentator exclaimed at the edge of the ring: "He is a monster, a beast!" "
With this long-awaited victory, Kevin Lee celebrated his 24th birthday and headed for a new battle in 2020. "Since signing for ONE in 2014, I've played 11 games, won 9 and lost 2, one of which was to Nguyen Martin and one to foul. I only played one game in 2019. I give myself a 60 and my body is not at its best yet. After the last year of surgery, I had to recover slowly. "
Everything Kevin Lee remembers in 2019 revolves around the game. "After the game, I celebrated my birthday with my dad, and his birthday was a day away from mine, and I had a happy birthday with a victory. Another thing I didn't mention to anyone before the game was that I had a high fever of 39.4 degrees before the game. I don't need to say too much to ONE, I've been here for many years, everyone knows me, I don't have any excuses, I just want to do my job as an athlete. I never pick an opponent, arrange who will fight whomever comes, who will come the same, no matter what difficulties, a word, dry! Do it to the end. "
After getting a hearty KO, Kevin Lee did not stop his steps, he was about to leave for the United States for training. "'19 was a new beginning for me, and technically my front and back frame changes are more fluid. The next step needed to be strengthened was standing and ground. I'm a wrestler by background, and I don't want my standing technique to stand too prominent and bury the ground. On the 13th of this month I went to the United States to train, strengthening wrestling ground and jiu-jitsu. "He knows that in the professional ring, victories and defeats are only temporary, and only effort must be persevered." My life and career will start a new chapter in 2019, I will fight in both the featherweight and the chickweight, with the goal of becoming China's first double-class champion. "
"The person I want to thank most this year is myself, after 18 years of injury, many roads have been suffered by myself, and I have not given up." I would also like to thank my team, Tianjin K-1 Club, my coaches, teammates and friends who supported me. In 2020, I first want to restore myself better, first to eighty percent, and then to win a game. When I'm back to 100 percent, I want to find 'Stone Fist' Reinkel to shoot at. It's going to be a really good game. If I have the chance, I hope to challenge the gold belt. As an athlete, I want to show my worth and ability at the right opportunity, and I want to knock down every opponent and overcome every difficulty in 2020. "
When talking about regrets, Kevin Lee said: "In fact, what I regret the most is that the surgery in 2018 should be done later, because later I got the opportunity to fight revenge with Ruan Martin, and I couldn't do anything after the operation." If I had to choose again, I would like to take the gold belt and go to the surgery. But this is fate, people have to confess their fate, and I firmly believe that my things will always be mine. "
At the end of 2019, Kevin Lee confided in supporters. "Thank you all for your concern and attention to me, I know there are people who hate my arrogance, I don't care. I've been being myself, and being my own person is the most attractive. I'm very modest in the ring, but I'm crazy in the ring, and my crazy capital is to work harder than anyone. I will not disappoint those who support me, I will prove with my actions that your vision is not wrong, I am the dark horse, I am the future of China MMA. "