Seung Chul Lee (“The Flash”) looks to extend his 13-fight winning streak when he meets dangerous Armenian finisher Karen Ghazaryan at ONE Fight Night 48.
Seung Chul Lee has already passed one of the biggest tests of his career. Now, “The Flash” is being asked to solve a completely different problem.
The 27-year-old South Korean strawweight is scheduled to return against Armenia’s Karen Ghazaryan at ONE Fight Night 48 on October 2, less than three months after earning a unanimous decision victory over Bokang Masunyane on July 17.
For Lee, the turnaround represents another opportunity to build momentum in ONE Championship — and potentially push himself closer to the upper tier of the promotion’s strawweight division.
Training out of DK Gym, Lee enters the matchup with a 13-1 professional record and 13 consecutive victories. Long regarded as an explosive prospect because of his speed and finishing ability, his victory over Masunyane offered something arguably more important: proof that his game can hold up against experienced, high-level opposition over the distance.
Masunyane entered their July meeting with a reputation built around athleticism, wrestling and experience against some of ONE’s best strawweights. Lee couldn’t simply overwhelm him with speed.
Instead, the Korean remained composed and did enough across the fight to earn the unanimous decision.
It was a significant development for a fighter whose rise had largely been defined by finishes.
Lee has recorded eight knockout or TKO victories and three submissions during his current winning streak. His combination of hand speed, explosive movement and finishing instincts earned him the nickname “The Flash,” but his recent performances have increasingly shown there is more to his game than raw athleticism.
His submission of Cueng Naibaho was another important moment. Lee secured a first-round rear-naked choke to earn a six-figure ONE Championship contract, demonstrating that opponents cannot simply concentrate on surviving his striking.
Against Ghazaryan, that versatility could become particularly important.
A Very Different Test
If Masunyane represented patience and tactical discipline, Karen Ghazaryan represents pressure.
The 25-year-old Armenian enters ONE Fight Night 48 with a 6-1 professional record, with all six victories coming by stoppage.
Five have come by knockout or TKO.
Fighting out of Shahmuradyan Fight Club, Ghazaryan has built his reputation around aggression. He likes to move forward, force exchanges and turn fights into uncomfortable contests where opponents are constantly being asked to react.
That approach was on display against Hisashi Ezaki in June.
Ghazaryan pushed a relentless pace and ultimately forced a first-round TKO when Ezaki was unable to continue after the opening round. It was exactly the type of performance that makes the Armenian dangerous: sustained pressure followed by an opponent beginning to break.
But Ghazaryan’s lone professional defeat also provides an interesting blueprint.
In his ONE Championship debut earlier this year, veteran Japanese strawweight Hiroba Minowa was able to take the fight into the grappling exchanges and submit Ghazaryan with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
Ghazaryan has since rebounded, but the result demonstrated that his aggressive approach can create openings when opponents are capable of surviving the initial pressure and changing where the fight takes place.
That could make Lee an especially difficult matchup.
Speed vs. Pressure
The central question on October 2 may be whether Ghazaryan can force Lee to fight at his pace.
Lee is at his best when he has room to move.
His footwork and hand speed allow him to enter and exit exchanges quickly, while his ability to suddenly close distance makes opponents hesitant to overcommit. Against an aggressive fighter, those attributes become natural countermeasures.
Ghazaryan, however, is unlikely to give him space willingly.
The Armenian will want to push Lee backward, close off his exits and force extended exchanges rather than allowing “The Flash” to dart in and out of range.
That creates an intriguing tactical battle.
If Ghazaryan can consistently trap Lee and turn the contest into a high-volume fight, his physicality and finishing instincts could make things uncomfortable.
If Lee controls the distance, Ghazaryan’s aggression could instead provide opportunities for counters, level changes and transitions into the grappling game.
And that may be where Lee’s development becomes most important.
He doesn’t necessarily need to beat Ghazaryan at his own game. He has enough tools to change the fight entirely.
From Prospect to Contender
The Masunyane victory changed the conversation surrounding Seung Chul Lee.
Before July 17, his record and finishing streak made him one of South Korea’s most intriguing rising fighters. Beating Masunyane gave that momentum considerably more weight.
Now comes the challenge of building on it.
A victory over Ghazaryan would give Lee 14 consecutive wins and another successful appearance on ONE’s global stage. More importantly, it would show that he can defeat dramatically different types of opponents in consecutive fights.
Masunyane tested his ability to remain disciplined.
Ghazaryan will test his ability to handle pressure.
For a fighter trying to establish himself among ONE Championship’s leading strawweights, those are exactly the kinds of questions that eventually need answers.
On October 2, “The Flash” gets another chance to provide one.
Follow HanPunch for the latest Korean MMA news, exclusive fighter interviews, event coverage, and the stories shaping combat sports across Asia.
About The Author
Join the Conversation