Charlie Guest dazzled in his ONE Championship debut. Three months on, the Englishman is confident he will deliver the goods once again in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, October 2.
The Impact MMA and Tiger Muay Thai representative faces American fighter Luke Lessei in a featherweight Muay Thai tilt, which will be part of ONE Fight Night 48.
He needed only two rounds to secure the finish against Sam Fitzgerald in his promotional bow at ONE Fight Night 44, largely thanks to his flurry of combinations that put the New Zealander in a bad spot.
The Andover native couldn’t be more pleased with the manner of the win, though he feels something even more special could be on the cards inside the Mecca of Muay Thai later this week. He shared:
“My debut was everything I had imagined it to be, really. It was the perfect way to get things off here, and that’s what I’m always coming for.
“Training has been good once again for this fight camp. I feel great, and I’m ready to put on a show. My eyes are always locked on that knockout, so it’s no different this time around.”
Putting Lessei to sleep will be the perfect way for the Brit to prove that his debut triumph inside the ONE Championship ring was no fluke. That said, Guest, who improved to 38-15 with his memorable promotional debut, expects the American to be no pushover.
Lessei’s time in the organization has been filled with firefights. Across six outings inside the promotion, however, the Dubuque Martial Arts Group representative has only had his hand raised on three occasions – against Mohamed Younes Rabah, Cody Jerome, and Eddie Abasolo.
Though the American’s ONE Championship ledger sits at three wins and three defeats, the Englishman isn’t underestimating the quality his foe brings to the ring. He highlighted:
“He’s a tricky test, for sure. I’ve seen all of his fights, but I’ve put more attention to his wins specifically because I feel he’ll be at his best in this fight, and I want him at his very best in this fight. I won’t go too much into detail, but I’m expecting a tough fight here.”
Guest eyes a quick path to world title contention
Should he walk out of Lumpinee with the win, Guest believes it’ll represent a massive step toward his ultimate dream in the promotion: Capturing the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title.
While he knows there is plenty of work to be done – and, perhaps, just as many challengers along the way – the striking specialist is confident that he will eventually work his way toward the divisional strap, currently in the hands of Scottish slugger Nico Carrillo.
He shared:
“I’ve got to dream big. I’ve waited for this opportunity for a very long time. So, I just want to continue working all the way up until my name’s up there in the world title conversation.
“Never say never. We’ll take it one step at a time. This comes first, and I’d be ready for whatever’s next.”
