Christian Lee Juggles Ruotolo Camp With Growing Hawaii Gym

Christian Lee has been running fight cards inside his Waipahu gym between training sessions for his ONE lightweight title defense. The two-division champion meets welterweight submission grappling king Tye Ruotolo at The Inner Circle 37 on November 6 in Bangkok.

The 28-year-old recently staged a smoker event at Prodigy Training Center, the facility he owns with wife Katie, drawing roughly 400 fans to watch 15 MMA and kickboxing matchups. The card addressed a gap on Oahu, which no longer hosts active amateur MMA promotions despite sitting 2,400 miles from the mainland. Lee described the format as winner-takes-nothing competition designed to identify the better fighter in each pairing.

Prodigy Team Expands Under Lee's Leadership

Ten athletes from the gym competed on the card, with most earning victories. Lee told BJPenn.com that fighters from his facility have been racking up wins across multiple events. The gym, rebranded in 2024, now includes a youth division preparing for amateur careers, with California trips planned for next year.

The Hawaii-based champion and his wife recently welcomed their fourth child. Lee faces a crossover challenge against Ruotolo, who holds grappling gold at welterweight but has never competed in MMA. The bout streams in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium, with Lee defending the lightweight strap he has held across two reigns.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Christian Lee juggles Tye Ruotolo camp with fast-growing Hawaii fight team