Luke Lessei ready for ‘aggressive’ Mohamed Younes Rabah at ONE Fight Night 45: ‘He’s going to throw heat’

Luke Lessei returns to the main event spotlight on Friday, July 17, when he meets Mohamed Younes Rabah in a featherweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 45 in Bangkok, Thailand. The bout streams live on Prime Video from Lumpinee Stadium in U.S. primetime.

The 30-year-old Iowa native enters off a loss to Nico Carrillo, who has since captured the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship. Lessei carries eight professional victories and a finishing rate above 75 percent into the assignment.

His camp for this bout looked nothing like a typical training block. Lessei split time across three cities while balancing family responsibilities and personal changes at home.

“It just feels good that they want to have me for main event. I feel like they still have faith in me. They still know that I can be the American Muay Thai star. I’m 30 years old. I’m in the best shape of my life. I don’t have 100 or 200 fights like a lot of these Thais, so I’m still healthy. I still consider myself new in the game,” Lessei said.

“Obviously, Nico’s the best fighter in the world right now at my weight. So, there’s really no shame in losing to someone who’s the champion. I think I can definitely learn from that and take things more seriously when it comes to refueling. I’m 30 now, that is such an important part of the game. I can’t just rely on my talent and my flow. I have to make sure my body is fully prepared.

“My kids come to the gym with me now all the time. They come to the track with me when I’m working out. That doesn’t even enter my consciousness anymore because no matter what my circumstances are, I’ve learned over the past two to three years, divorce, moving, all these different things, I can’t wait for my life to calm down just for me to have the perfect training camp.”

Luke Lessei carries redemption into Bangkok’s main event

Luke Lessei will share the Bangkok circle with Mohamed Younes Rabah, a hard-hitting Algerian who has turned featherweight into personal territory. “The Eagle” owns a near-flawless 15-1 record with one no contest, and Lessei has watched enough tape to know a fast, heavy-handed start is coming.

The matchup even carries its own symbolism. Rabah’s nickname inspired Lessei to get a falcon tattoo, a nod to the contrast between the Algerian’s power and the American’s precision.

“I just know that he’s going to throw heat. He’s going to be aggressive. It’s probably not going to be a slow fight, and that’s what I’m preparing for. I’ve been having my lungs burning every day of the week. I’m prepared to go into deep waters. I’m prepared to be a sniper against his aggression. I have a solid game plan for this fight,” Lessei said.

“I’ve been preparing a lot for the power of ‘The Eagle.’ I just got a sick falcon tattoo. Eagle versus falcon, precision versus strength.

“I think he’s just always ready to bang. He’s tough, he’s got that hard, almost European-like forward style. A lot of times, he’s able to throw spins out of nowhere. I know he’s got some good calf kicks. I’ve watched him a lot. My coaches have been studying him, and I think I have more variety, I’m more diverse.”