Shinya Aoki Defends Lightweight Belt; Sage Northcutt Debut Set for One Championship May Event

Shinya Aoki is making a quick turnaround to defend his new One Championship lightweight strap, when he faces Christian Lee in the main event of One Championship: Enter the Dragon.

The promotion announced via press release on Friday that Aoki (43-8, 1 NC) will be facing rising star and Singapore native Lee (11-3) at One Championship: Enter the Dragon on May 17 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Additionally, the organization revealed that newly-signed former Ultimate Fighting Championship standout Sage Northcutt (11-2) would be fighting under the One banner for the first time at this event. Northcutt will meet longtime kickboxer Cosmo Alexandre (7-1).

Aoki earned his lightweight belt back from the man who took it from him in 2016, by putting Eduard Folayang to sleep in the main event of One Championship: A New Era at the end of March. The submission specialist notched his 28th career win via tapout or technical submission, and has submitted twice as many opponents as Lee has ever faced.

One-time lightweight title challenger Lee is riding a two-fight knockout streak over Edward Kelly and Kazuki Tokudome, and before that he was disqualified for landing an illegal suplex on Kelly in September. Lee has spent his entire professional career under the One Championship banner, making his debut with the company in late 2015.

Northcutt left the UFC on a three-fight win streak, last knocking out Zak Ottow at UFC Fight Night 133 in July. The 23-year-old Team Alpha Male product competed eight times under the Las Vegas-based promotion before heading east. The lone blemishes in his career are a pair of second round submission losses to Mickey Gall and Bryan Barberena in 2016.

One Championship: Enter the Dragon will take place on May 17 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Headlining the event will be a lightweight title fight between Shinya Aoki and Christian Lee. Also at the event, Sage Northcutt will make his promotional debut against Cosmo Alexandre.