Adrian Lee never experienced losing positions in fights before last September, never felt the desperation of being taken down and controlled by superior grappling, never questioned whether he was losing worse than the reality suggested. Then Tye Ruotolo submitted him via rear-naked choke in the second round, shattering the 19-year-old’s perfect 3-0 start and teaching lessons no amount of Prodigy Training Center preparation could replicate.

The experience shocked the youngest Lee family member completely. He thought he’d hold his own everywhere, believed his lifetime of elite martial arts training would translate against even championship-caliber grapplers making MMA debuts. Instead, Ruotolo dragged him into deep waters immediately, the takedown arriving faster than anticipated and the positional control overwhelming his defensive reactions entirely.

Now the Hawaiian sensation faces another opponent who experienced identical harsh reality — Shozo Isojima, who lasted less than three minutes before Ruotolo’s grappling prowess forced submission at ONE Fight Night 40 on February 13 at Lumpinee Stadium. Both fighters enter their lightweight MMA clash seeking redemption after falling to the same elite grappler, creating a fascinating matchup between athletes eager to prove September defeats were aberrations rather than ceiling revelations.

The loss taught Lee truths about composure under adversity that years of winning couldn’t provide. In his mind during the Ruotolo fight, he believed he was losing far worse than reality because adversity was completely foreign territory. Never getting taken down, never losing positions — that perfect record created false confidence that crumbled when genuine championship-level pressure arrived.

“That fight with Tye, it was a rough one,” Lee admitted. “When I was in that ring with Tye, it was kind of new. Tye was definitely the highest caliber opponent I’ve fought so far, and I think it was definitely a little bit of a shocker. I didn’t think that he’d get under me so fast and that he’d get right into the takedown. I went right into his world.”

Rather than dwelling on defeat or making excuses, Lee analyzed his performance objectively and extracted valuable lessons. After resting a few weeks, he returned to Prodigy Training Center with renewed fire, systematically addressing the gaps Ruotolo exposed. His biggest improvement came mentally — understanding how to stay level-headed when adversity strikes, maintaining composure when positions are lost and fights seem to be slipping away.

“The biggest lesson I learned from that fight was my composure,” Lee explained. “It was the first time I’ve ever been put in a position like that in any of my fights. In my head, I had thought I was losing the fight a lot worse than I was just because I’ve never gotten taken down. I’ve never lost any positions in a fight before. So definitely, it added a lot to my experience. Now, I know how to stay more composed and more level-headed during a fight.”

Isojima brings legitimate credentials to Friday’s clash — a 6-1 professional record built on resiliency and grinding opponents down through striking, takedowns, and relentless positional control. The 28-year-old Japanese destroyer possesses judo and wrestling accolades that suggest dangerous grappling exchanges, the kind of opponent who makes fights ugly and drains energy through constant pressure.

But Lee sees vulnerabilities that suggest dominance rather than competitive struggle. Isojima has been touched up frequently in his fights, the defensive holes exploitable by someone with Lee family striking genetics and lifetime martial arts immersion. The youngest sibling of Christian and Angela Lee believes his greatest strength lies in seamless transitions between striking, wrestling, and grappling — exactly what Isojima’s grinding style struggles defending against.

“I think his biggest strengths are probably his resiliency and his ability to just grind [opponents down],” Lee observed. “He’s a grinder. He’s able to strike, take you down, hold you down, and ground-and-pound. And then for weaknesses, I’ve seen him get touched up a lot in his fights. He has some accolades in his judo and his wrestling, but I believe that I’ll beat him everywhere in this game.”

That confidence stems from pedigree and natural talent combining with impeccable work ethic. Training MMA since childhood created a fighter who flows between disciplines naturally rather than functioning as a specialist forced into uncomfortable situations. Lee views that versatility as his biggest weapon, the ability to mix striking combinations with wrestling entries and submission threats that create puzzles opponents struggle solving.

The redemption plan is straightforward — finish Isojima in round one with a TKO, reminding everyone why he’s considered one of MMA’s most exciting young stars despite the September setback. Lee has already envisioned how Friday’s clash plays out, and in typical Lee family fashion, he doesn’t believe his Japanese rival survives past the opening frame.

“The way I see this fight playing out is that I get the finish in round one,” Lee predicted. “That’s always my plan, always my priority going into any of my fights, but I believe that I’m just going to take whatever comes first. I’m going to work my striking and take him to the ground. Probably a TKO finish.”

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