Angela Lee draws praise for exemplifying true heart of champion in title defense

The dazzling rise of Asian mixed martial arts superstar Angela “Unstoppable” Lee continued last Friday, May 26 when she staked her ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship title against Brazilian contender Istela Nunes in the main event of ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES.

In front of a roaring Singapore Indoor Stadium, the atmosphere was electrifying as confetti rained down on Lee following her victory, marking the second-straight successful defense of her coveted gold-plated strap.

Behind her well-rounded offense, Lee stifled Nunes with accurate striking and a smooth grappling game, eventually submitting the two-time Muay Thai world champion via anaconda choke in the second round.

Lee may have made it look like an easy night against Nunes, but there were extra challenges than simply overcoming a tough opponent.

After getting the tap from Nunes, the 20-year-old Singaporean sensation dropped to her knees in the middle of the cage and broke down in tears.

It may have seemed at first that Lee was simply overjoyed at securing the win, but it turns out that the champion had to overcome a severe bout of pneumonia before even stepping into the ONE Championship cage.

Ten days before the bout, Lee had been battling illness as she had been diagnosed with a bad case of pneumonia.

“There were a lot of things that happened leading up to the fight, a lot of unexpected things that I didn’t have control of. I actually got pretty sick leading up to the fight. I was on antibiotics and stuff so I was fighting through that. It was just a very tough battle with myself, overcoming my own doubt,” Lee shared.

Despite showing symptoms of a serious ailment, Lee decided to proceed with her highly-anticipated championship clash with Nunes.

"I was nervous but I also knew how hard I worked for this. I believe that everything happens for a reason and I trusted in that. If I could make it this far, what's 30 more minutes? So I walked out to that cage with a smile on my face and got the job done," she stated.

Lee had battled through so much more than just the challenger opposite her inside the cage, and she had won in spectacular fashion.

“This victory means the world to me. I got the finish and I cannot ask for anything more than that. I trusted in my training, trusted in my team, my coaches and I just went out there and got the job done,” she said.

“That's why I was so emotional after the fight. This win meant so much to me because I had overcome my biggest test. Not once did I think of giving up or calling off this fight. That's not who I am. I'm a fighter and I choose to be fearless in the face of adversity because resilience is what leads to victory," Lee added.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong praised Lee for her dedication to her craft and demonstrate her heart of a champion.

“My Muay Thai teacher, the legendary Kru Yodtong Senanan, used to tell me often that a world champion is someone who can win under any circumstance. Angela Lee passed an impossible test on the journey of unleashing her greatness,” he said.

Believing that Lee exemplified the true spirit of martial arts in her world title defense, Sityodtong maintained that the outstanding female fighter known as “Unstoppable” should be regarded as one of the best world champions of the sport today.

“Without a doubt, Angela is one of the greatest World Champions on Earth in any weight class - male or female. She is a true warrior who exemplifies the authentic spirit of martial arts,” he stressed.

At 20 years old and at such an early stage in her professional MMA career, Lee asserted that she is still building towards her legacy.

“I'm maturing as a fighter, but I still have so much to learn. That's the exciting part. I feel like I'm not even close to my peak or my potential yet," she ended.
?For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.  

Angela Lee still enjoys life of being champion, looks to extend winning roll in ONE Championship

As ONE Championship returns to its home-base of Singapore on 26 May, Asia’s largest sports media property has prepared one of its biggest cards yet for 2017.

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee is set to square off with Brazil’s Istela Nunes in the main event of ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES, which takes place at the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Considered as the face of women’s mixed martial arts in Asia, Lee is one of ONE Championship’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class.

The 20-year-old MMA sensation made history in May 2016 by capturing the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship belt with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi.

Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage.

In her last trip to the cage, Lee dominated top contender Jenny Huang of Chinese Taipei with a masterful display of striking to successfully defend her gold-plated strap.

There is no denying Lee’s dominance and fast rise to popularity in the constantly-evolving sport of MMA and as one of ONE Championship’s biggest draws.

Despite her young age and the ever-increasing pressures around her, Lee is still loving life of being the champion, admitting that she looks forward to her next world title defense.

“I’m very excited to be jumping back into the cage and defending my title for the second time. My last training camp for my first title defense was great. This one is going to be even better. It’s always a treat for me fighting in Singapore as I have great support from all my family and friends,” she stated.

However, Nunes is an opponent who should not be underestimated as she is a two-time Muay Thai world champion with an unblemished 6-0 professional win-loss record.

Nunes’ exciting style and knack for delivering powerful strikes makes for exciting fights and is one of the biggest components of her game.

The 24-year-old Brazilian striker took on top-rated female atomweight Mei Yamaguchi in her last outing, winning a closely-contested split decision.

At her best, Nunes is a well-rounded combatant with a solid striking and grappling skillset that gave her two career wins by finish.

“Our styles are very explosive and it will be exciting for the fans to see. I think that Istela is a good opponent for me,” Lee said of her cage counterpart.

While Lee is not underestimating the challenge ahead of her at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES, she feels that when it’s all said and done, she will have her hand raised in triumph at the end of the fight.

Lee believes that she has what it takes to tame a ferocious striker like Nunes when they collide on 26 May.

“She’s a good striker, but I know that I’m much more well-rounded. I feel like I can take this fight wherever I want it. Whether it’s on the feet or on the ground, I’m extremely confident in all areas,” she stressed.

“I am the more complete fighter, and at the end of the day, that is what it comes down to. I have been doing this my whole life, and when we step into the cage, I know without a doubt I am going to come out victorious,” Lee ended.

​​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.