Nico Cornejo hopes for a big surprise when ONE Championship returns to Colorado

“The Steel City Kid” thinks he can shock the world.

Nicolas Cornejo, a 35-year-old Pueblo native, makes his primetime MMA debut on the card of ONE 168 on Friday at Ball Arena.

Cornejo dominated the regional scene and has a 2-0 record with two TKOs as a pro. But the third-generation Puebloan has never fought at this level and is taking on someone half his age and from a famous boxing family: 18-year-old Adrian Lee. Cornejo is the biggest underdog on the card at +500 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“We're the underdogs down here. We don't get a lot of (positive) spotlight in Pueblo,” Cornejo said. “But I consider myself a son of Pueblo … And (my coaches and I) believe we've worked out a game plan that can stop Lee's hype train, and stop it right now, and wear him down.”

While Lee is well on his way to ONE Championship glory and adding to his family's MMA dynasty – his brother Christian currently holds the ONE MMA lightweight and welterweight titles, while his sister Angela was the ONE MMA Women's Atomweight World Champion before retiring – Cornejo has come a long way to stardom.

Cornejo is a graduate of Pueblo Central. His first son was born two weeks after he graduated from high school. He worked primarily as a correctional officer in his 20s and didn't make his debut on the regional MMA scene until he was 29, losing about 100 pounds to do so.

He now works as a utility and maintenance worker for the city of Pueblo and has five children, including an 18-year-old senior at Central for whom Cornejo and his fiancée have assumed guardianship.

Cornejo is convinced that, despite his detour, he is only just beginning.

“I know that in the MMA world, being 35 is like being 70,” joked Cornejo, who trains at Warrior Built MMA in Pueblo. “But I'm going to keep going until I run out of steam.”

“…I feel like I'm at my peak right now and I'm in better shape than I was in my 20s. Because I have younger kids who are still hyper and full of energy, it's hard for them to keep up with me. I have a lot of reserves because I didn't fight in my 20s.”

After a divorce in 2018, Cornejo was “on the verge of real mental health issues.” Four years later, he suddenly lost his father in a fatal rollover accident that occurred while he was driving his work truck.

In both cases, the octagon helped him heal.

“(My father) was my first superhero and I miss him every day,” said Cornejo, who has his father's fingerprints tattooed on the side of his neck. “I talk to him sometimes at night when I'm alone. I carry his rosary with me. And when I'm feeling down, I go out on my motorcycle that he left me and go for a spin. (His death) sent me into a pretty bad depression for about three months, but what helped me the most was getting back to the gym.”

With all that behind him, Cornejo says he's ready to step into Ball Arena on Friday and ruin Lee's night in their lightweight bout. Lee had an impressive ONE Championship debut earlier this summer, defeating Antonio Mammarella by rear-naked choke at ONE 167.

“I'm excited and can't wait to get in the arena,” Cornejo said. “I just want to put on a show for my fans and my family and make a statement for Pueblo.”

The map for ONE 168: Denver

ONE Championship returns to Denver after the promotion made its U.S. debut last May at the 1stBank Center. Friday's fights begin at 6 p.m. at Ball Arena and will be broadcast on Prime Video.

ONE Muay Thai Bantamweight World Championship: (c) Jonathan Haggerty vs Superlek Kiatmoo9

ONE world title in flyweight submission grappling: (c) Mikey Musumeci vs. Bebeto Oliveira

Muay Thai dream fight: Liam Harrison vs Seksan Or Kwanmuang

MMA – Middleweight: Aung La N Sang against Shamil Erdogan

Must Thai – Bantamweight: John Lineker vs Asa Ten Pow

MMA – Lightweight: Maurice Abevi against Samat Mamedov

MMA – Welterweight: Hiroyuki Tetsuka vs. Isi Fitikefu

MMA – Women’s Atomweight: Alyse Anderson vs Victoria Souza

MMA – Strawweight: Hiroba Minova vs. Sanzhar Zakirov

MMA – Lightweight: Adrian Lee vs Nico Cornejo

Muay Thai – Flyweight: Johan Ghazali vs. Josue Cruz

Muay Thai – Flyweight: Sean Climaco vs. Johan Estupinan