‘I’m Trying To Put This Dude To Sleep’ – Luke Lessei Aiming To KO Bampara Kouyate At ONE Fight Night 23

‘I’m Trying To Put This Dude To Sleep’ – Luke Lessei Aiming To KO Bampara Kouyate At ONE Fight Night 23

‘I’m Trying To Put This Dude To Sleep’ – Luke Lessei Aiming To KO Bampara Kouyate At ONE Fight Night 23

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American Muay Thai sensation Luke “The Chef” Lessei will soon return to action and showcase his creative brand of striking on ONE’s global platform.

On Friday, July 5, in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, he takes on decorated French striker Bampara Kouyate in a featherweight tilt at Bangkok, Thailand’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

“I’m hoping every fight gets a little more technical because then I can show my actual flight IQ and my skills. My last few fights, I’ve kinda been showing my Midwest mentality, my toughness, good stuff here and there.

“But this guy, Bampara Kouyate, he’s like 6-foot-2, same height as me, a muay femur. So he’s technical. He likes to wait, counter, set up techniques, and that’s the same as me.

“I love a good chess match.”

Lessei – the #5-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender – is a master technician, renowned for his dynamic and unorthodox combinations, crafty counter-strikes, and deeply intelligent approach to Muay Thai.

In other words, he is a technical fighter known as a muay femur.

The Iowa native’s opponent, Kouyate, is also a technician, but Lessei is confident he’ll defeat the Frenchman at his own game.

 

“The Chef’s” first two appearances in ONE were both wildly entertaining battles.

In his promotional debut, he dropped a narrow decision against recent ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title challenger “Smokin” Jo Nattawut in December 2023 at ONE Fight Night 17. But his gutsy performance in that unforgettable three-round war earned him legions of fans around the globe.

Lessei returned just three months later at ONE Fight Night 19, earning a thrilling decision win over fellow American Eddie Abasolo in a fight that saw both men suffer knockdowns.

While he’s proud to have displayed his heart and grit in those bouts, the 28-year-old is excited to engage in a more technical battle at ONE Fight Night 23: