5 Things You Must Know About South Korean MMA Star Lee Seung Cheol
The future burns incredibly bright for South Korea’s Lee “The Flash” Seung Cheol, but an early blemish nearly derailed his rapid ascent before it truly began.
The 27-year-old is itching to return to action after his scheduled bout against Karen Ghazaryan at ONE Fight Night 48 was unfortunately scrapped due to his opponent’s visa issues. Now, he faces an even more intriguing challenge against undefeated Indian phenom Nazareth “The Northstar” Lalthazuala in a strawweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 49 on Prime Video.
The action goes down live in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 6, from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before he makes his highly anticipated return to the ONE Championship ring, here are five things you must know about the surging strawweight contender.
#1 He Turned A Debut Loss Into A 13-Fight Win Streak
Lee’s professional career actually began with a bitter setback. He suffered a TKO loss in his 2020 debut on the regional circuit — the kind of devastating blow many young fighters never fully recover from.
Rather than let it break his spirit, the DK Gym standout used the defeat as a massive turning point to aggressively sharpen every single part of his game. What followed was a dominant run of destruction across South Korea and Japan. His most telling victory came against former ONE World Title challenger Rene “The Challenger” Catalan outside the promotion. Beating a veteran of that caliber loudly signaled that Lee was ready for a much bigger stage.
The dynamic striker has not tasted defeat since that fateful debut night. He now rides a spectacular 13-fight winning streak into the biggest fight of his career on the sport’s biggest stage.
#2 He Battled Through The ONE Friday Fights Crucible
That dominant regional run kicked open the door to his massive global break. In 2024, Lee cut his teeth on the ONE Friday Fights proving ground, the promotion’s weekly series where hungry young fighters battle for a coveted spot on the main roster.
He made an immediate impression at ONE Friday Fights 74, viciously stopping Moises “The Lion King” Lois Ilogon in the first round, before following up with a second-round TKO of Pham “Nam Chou” Van Nam.
But his true breakout performance came at ONE Friday Fights 116, where the South Korean outclassed respected divisional mainstay Hiroba Minowa over three grueling rounds, proving he could win the long tactical game just as easily as a quick firefight.
Then came the moment that changed his life. At ONE Friday Fights 136 last December, he ruthlessly submitted Cueng Naibaho at 3:02 of round one. That fourth straight finish earned him a life-changing US$100,000 main-roster contract, elevating his career to new heights and guaranteeing much tougher challenges ahead.
#3 “The Flash” Lives Up To His Name
Elevation to the global main roster certainly hasn’t slowed Lee’s momentum. In his first massive test, the South Korean emphatically snapped Fabio “The Giant” Henrique’s nine-fight winning streak at ONE Fight Night 41 this past March.
He followed that up with a brilliant unanimous decision over Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane at ONE Fight Night 45 in July. The South African Bokang is a perennial top-five contender, making it the most significant resume-building win of Lee’s entire career.
Lee’s sheer offensive output perfectly explains his moniker. “The Flash” currently holds the ONE record for the most significant strikes landed in a single strawweight fight with an absurd 157. He also owns the second-most significant strikes landed in a single round in division history with 78. Few opponents can keep their head above water once he finds his blistering rhythm.
When that overwhelming volume inevitably turns into damage, he can end things fast. His 50 percent finish rate, built evenly on TKOs and submissions, proves he is just as dangerous on the mat as he is on his feet.
#4 He’s A Regular On His Coach’s YouTube Channel
Away from the blinding lights of the global stage, Lee lives a remarkably grounded life in South Korea. His world revolves entirely around the gym where he meticulously sharpened the skills that carried him to ONE.
His head coach runs the popular Korean MMA YouTube channel 진격의 뚱관장 (@DKHEAD), which loosely translates to “Attack Of The Chubby Gym Director.” The channel promises to teach “real martial arts,” and it has meticulously built a library of more than 300 videos.
Lee features prominently in that digital content. Fans can intimately follow his fight camps, watch his grueling sparring sessions, and see the raw, unedited work that goes into every single performance. The vlogs also beautifully capture the brotherly camaraderie inside DK Gym. Between rounds of exhausting training, the team’s lighthearted moments reveal a relaxed, highly personable side of Lee rarely seen on fight night.
#5 He Could Be Strawweight’s Next Big Contender
Lee’s meteoric rise arrives at a highly pivotal time for the strawweight MMA ranks. For years, undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio has ruled the 125-pound weight class with an iron fist across three separate reigns.
The Filipino icon defends his crown next against Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita at ONE SAMURAI 5 on Wednesday, November 18, inside Tokyo’s EBARA WAVE Arena Ota.
Whoever leaves Tokyo with the gold belt will inevitably need fresh challengers. That is exactly where the 13-1 South Korean talent enters the championship picture. With a perfect ONE record and wins over top-ranked contenders already on his resume, Lee is building an undeniable case of his own.
First, he must halt the momentum of Lalthazuala, an unbeaten Indian finisher carrying genuine fight-ending power in both hands. If he gets his hand raised on November 6, the strawweight MMA division will undoubtedly have a terrifying new contender knocking directly on the door.
