"He's accomplished all he needs to accomplish" - Christian Lee says it was the perfect time for Demetrious Johnson to retire

Christian Lee is set to make his long-awaited return to action at ONE 169 after a long layoff in his career. 'The Warrior' has been through some tough times in recent years, but hanging up the gloves for good was never an option for him.

As he looks to defend his lightweight MMA title against Alibeg Rasulov at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, a fellow world champion recently decided to retire on top.

ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson called an end to his legendary career at ONE 168 inside the Ball Arena in Denver.

In a recent interview with Cageside Press ahead of his return, Lee gave his reaction to 'Mighty Mouse' riding off into the sunset:

"I was there, I talked to him while I was down there. He didn't mention it, of course, up until he announced it. And then I saw afterwards. After Adrian's fight, we headed out to the arena to get him some food, but yeah, I saw it. I'm happy for him. He had an amazing career. He had an amazing career in the UFC and then won a ONE Championship belt. He's accomplished all he needs to accomplish, so if he's ready to hang it up, then I'm happy for him."

Watch the full interview below:

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Christian Lee still has a lot to give

It's easy to forget how young Christian Lee is in his career because ONE Championship fans have watched him compete from a young age.

Rather than contemplating retirement during his time off, he has been working hard to evolve as a martial artist.

We will see a new version of Lee when he faces Alibeg Rasulov on November 8 after the undefeated contender defeated Ok Rae Yoon last time out.

Though Johnson has retired on top, the return of a world champion is imminent as ONE prepares to debut in Atlanta.