‘Do What I Do Best’ – Luke Lessei, Charlie Guest To Go For Broke At ONE Fight Night 48
The featherweight Muay Thai war airs live in U.S. primetime this Friday, and there's a lot at stake for each man.
By Chris Mohan
Oct 1, 2026, 06:52 UTC
American striker Luke “The Chef” Lessei and ISKA Muay Thai World Champion Charlie Guest are looking to keep their momentum rolling when they collide in a featherweight Muay Thai tilt at ONE Fight Night 48: Erdogan vs. Elliott.
Their scheduled three-round battle will be part of the U.S. primetime spectacle, which broadcasts live from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, October 2.
This past July, Lessei powered himself to a unanimous decision victory over “The Eagle” Mohamed Younes Rabah in the main event of ONE Fight Night 45. Guest, meanwhile, opened his account on the global stage with a second-round TKO of Sam Fitzgerald at ONE Fight Night 44 in June.
Neither man is walking into this battle expecting an easy night, and both have already begun sizing up exactly what the other brings to the table. After all, there’s a lot at stake, including a winning streak and a potential spot in the division’s top-five rankings.
Lessei Banking On A Deeper Bag Of Tricks
Luke Lessei has clearly done his homework on Charlie Guest, and none of what he has seen has left him overconfident heading into this clash.
The English knockout artist’s resume already carries a few notable names, and the Iowa native is quick to credit exactly how that experience stacks up against his own.
That respect, however, has not stopped him from breaking down the exact patterns his opponent tends to fall into once things start swinging his way.
Lessei told onefc.com:
“He’s fought some dogs. He’s fought Antoine Pinto. He fought a dude named Nathan Ward, who I know, and a couple of other high-level guys back in the day. But so have I. My first fight in ONE was against Jo Nattawut, so I’m no stranger to fighting above my level.
“From what I’ve seen in his last fight, he came out, and once he caught [Sam Fitzgerald], like everyone else, he just kept throwing hands. Big body shots, big hooks, big overhands. So, I’m just being prepared for that.”
While “The Chef” believes the Brit might throw in a different ingredient or two to make things complicated, the American is convinced he holds a distinct edge.
In his eyes, most opponents in the featherweight Muay Thai division, Guest included, tend to lean on a single approach rather than a genuinely varied toolbox – something that he believes will play directly into his hands.
The 30-year-old Iowa native, who splits his time between Beacon MMA, Dubuque Martial Arts Group, and Fusion Academy of Martial Arts, continued:
“I know he wants to throw bombs. But compared to myself, it isn’t going to be a crazy puzzle to solve. Maybe it will be hard to put together, but it’s not like he brings a whole crazy variety or a bunch of dynamic techniques.
“I have more of a dynamic style where I can get out of the way. I can pull things from my back pocket when I need to. I have a lot of different attributes when it comes to the full arsenal of all eight limbs.”
As confident as he sounds about the stylistic matchup, Lessei is not getting ahead of himself when it comes to predicting exactly how the fight will play out.
The American would rather stay locked into the work that’s in front of him instead of imagining how it all ends.
He added:
“I haven’t thought too much about that. I’m just focused on having a good performance, winning one position at a time, one moment at a time, and detaching from the outcome. I’m trying to be the best fighter Luke can be.”
Guest Eyes Another Explosive Knockout
Charlie Guest isn’t taking Luke Lessei’s words with a grain of salt. If anything, he largely agrees with the read on his own style, and he has clearly put in the work studying exactly what makes “The Chef” so unpredictable.
Rather than treating that homework as a formality, the Andover slugger has approached it with the same seriousness he brings to his own training.
The Englishman, who has been training at Impact MMA and Tiger Muay Thai, offered:
“He’s a very tricky opponent with some good skills. I’ve watched his ONE Championship fights. I don’t like to look too much at how the losses went. Instead, I’ve looked at where he’s performed best because I’m expecting the best Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 48.
“Although he’s tricky, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I’m fully ready to complete the task at hand. I just gotta be super laser-focused with him, and do what I do best.”
Two specific traits give the British star genuine confidence heading into Friday, the same qualities that fueled his blistering start to life on the global stage.
With that same approach already delivering results, he sees little reason to abandon a formula that has already worked so well.
Guest said:
“There’s a power difference. Plus, I think I’m hungrier. I want this [win] so bad. Besides that, I will be more aggressive, bring more pressure, and try to dominate more the deeper the fight goes. I will empty the tank and give it everything I’ve got.
“I’m looking for that KO, 100 percent. So, a knockout win with a punch in dramatic fashion. That said, I’m eager to show more techniques this time, not just boxing.”
Should he get his hand raised, Guest is not shying away from naming his next target.
The Brit would love nothing more than a chance to share the ring with reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion “King of the North” Nico Carrillo, a fighter he genuinely admires.
Guest confessed:
“I’m a bit of a fan. He’s got crazy power. I would love to have a go at Nico, to be honest. Why not aim high? That’s the ultimate goal, and he’s always saying he wants to keep the division active. So, let’s get it on.”
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