‘Coming Together And Working Hard’ – How Christian Lee Is Paving The Way For Hawaii’s Next Generation Of Fighters
Christian “The Warrior” Lee has reached the absolute pinnacle of mixed martial arts. Now, the two-division ONE World Champion is actively laying the foundation for a new generation of Hawaiian athletes to do the same.
The 28-year-old began his martial arts journey as a teenage debutant and today reigns supreme over both the lightweight and welterweight MMA divisions. Away from the global spotlight, a deeply personal chapter continues to grow: he and his wife, Katie, recently welcomed their fourth child into the world.
Before his story continues, a massive assignment in Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium awaits.
Lee will defend his lightweight MMA gold against ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo in the main event of The Inner Circle 37 on Friday, November 6. The Asia primetime blockbuster will be exclusively available to subscribers at live.onefc.com.
While the global fan base sees the heavy gold wrapped around his waist, fewer witness the grueling early mornings dedicated to helping eager local students dare to dream bigger.
Building A Home For Local Talent
Christian Lee co-owns Prodigy Training Center in Waipahu, Hawaii, alongside his wife. The family gym, which he formally rebranded in 2024, has rapidly evolved into a vital rallying point for martial artists across the island.
Named in loving tribute to his late sister, the facility is built entirely around lifting others up. “The Warrior” coaches students of every skill level on those mats, partnering with his younger brother, Adrian “The Phenom” Lee, to bring the elite techniques they hone in global competition directly back to their community.
Lee told onefc.com:
“The gym’s doing great. We’ve had a lot of guys competing, and a lot of guys winning their fights, too. We’re just building up a strong community, those who just enjoy training and enjoy martial arts.
“We’ve got a strong youth team, and we’re getting some kids ready to start their amateur youth MMA careers. We’re bringing them overseas to California next year. So, yeah, it’s been great.”
That grassroots guidance extends far beyond the amateur ranks. Lee is actively helping fellow athletes make the difficult leap to the professional circuit, and virtually no one is better positioned to show them the way.
At just 20 years old, he became the youngest-ever male MMA World Champion when he dethroned Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki for the lightweight gold in May 2019. Seven years later, he is paying that invaluable experience forward, guiding Hawaii’s next wave of fighters toward the exact dreams he once chased himself.
He continued:
“We had a few amateur fighters. One of my guys just fought in the California amateur show. He won. Another one of my guys just fought; he had a pro match in the States, and he won his third MMA match. So we have a few rising pros, and a few amateurs that are getting ready to turn pro as well.”
Giving An Island Its Stage
Christian Lee understands that geographic distance can often serve as a Hawaiian fighter’s toughest opponent. Oahu sits roughly 2,400 miles from San Francisco, one of the closest points on the U.S. mainland, requiring nearly six hours in the air to reach any major hub.
For a young athlete, every chance to prove themselves is a very long, expensive trip away. With no active amateur MMA promotions left on the island, Lee decided to fill the glaring void himself, cultivating opportunities in the very place where his family’s renowned fighting legacy originally took root.
The two-division MMA World Champion shared:
“We just held an event in our gym, and we call it a smoker event. Basically, we hold fights in our gym – no winner, no loser – but we get to see who the better fighter is, and we encourage our guys to go for the finish. So we matchmade a whole card.
“We had, like, 15 matches, MMA and kickboxing, and we had 10 of our guys from our gym competing in that, and most of them all won their matches, so it was a great event. We had like 400 people in the gym watching.”
The heavy cost of that geographic gap becomes obvious when the island’s raw talents are forced to leave.
According to Lee, many aspiring pros head to places like Las Vegas in search of resources. The homegrown athletes who do fly out often face opponents holding vastly more experience, simply because mainland athletes can easily drive from state to state picking up fights every weekend.
Lee’s in-house events are his direct method of leveling those odds. For a hungry up-and-comer, a packed night competing inside Prodigy Training Center is much more than practice. It is tangible proof that someone believes they belong in the sport.
“The Warrior” added:
“These guys train really hard, but there’s no promotion. So we do these types of events so that they can get the fighting experience they need, and then travel overseas from Hawaii, and then they’ll be ready. I’m happy that we’re able to play a part in that.
“It’s some work, it definitely is, especially with this fight coming up. I definitely had a lot to think about, but it was a great event, the turnout was great, and I’m happy to do that because in Hawaii, there’s no platform for all of the guys on the island to fight.”
A Culture Worth Fighting For
Christian Lee has seen firsthand that the island’s deep-rooted hunger to compete never faded. Across Hawaii, athletes fiercely love to train in MMA, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, and grappling. He sees a local scene desperate for a larger stage.
The Prodigy Training Center head honcho grew up immersed in that exact culture, and he remembers precisely what steady competition meant to his own development as a teenager.
Now, “The Warrior” is determined to provide the next generation of local hopefuls with a similar launching pad.
Lee said:
“When I was 15, I was able to fight three times a month. And now these guys who are wanting to fight, I see that there’s definitely a need for it. So I’m happy that we can put on events like this. And when we have like 30 guys competing, they’re all in the gym, and there’s not a single altercation in the gym.
“It’s great to see everyone coming together from different gyms, and just being happy to have that platform to fight, to get where they want to go. A lot of these guys, really, their dream is to be pro fighters.”
No significant movement is ever carried by just one person, and Lee keeps elite company.
His younger brother coaches directly alongside him, and his wife, Katie, ensures the business operations run seamlessly. Beyond the immediate gym walls, the island’s absolute best have joined the cause, including multi-time MMA World Champion Max Holloway.
The 28-year-old reflected:
“We’ve been blessed to have a lot of support from my friends over the years. Max has been coming in regularly to train and to help give me looks in the room. And another good friend, Ray Cooper, has been coming in, too.
“Between the three of us – me, Max, and Ray – we’re like the seasoned fighters coming out of Hawaii who still live and train out of Hawaii. Despite all of the odds against us out here, we’re still just putting in the work and not feeling a need to leave the island. We’re just coming together and working hard. I’m happy with everything.”
