Angela Lee's Top 5 Bouts
“Unstoppable” Angela Lee has built one of the most impressive résumés in ONE Championship with a series of spectacular performances that have made her the face of the company.
From her debut as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, to her capture of the ONE Atomweight World Title at the age of 19, and her collection of successful defenses, the Singaporean has already authored some of the best moments in The Home Of Martial Arts in some incredible contests.
Ahead of her return to the Circle against Michelle Nicolini at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY next Friday, 12 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, take a look at what you can expect from Lee in the five best matches from her career so far.
#5 The Twister
Lee’s performance against Natalie Gonzales Hills at ONE: PRIDE OF LIONS in November 2015 put her on the map in the world of martial arts.
“Unstoppable” carried on the form from her first two bouts by setting a high pace and dominating on the ground. Once again, she finished in the first round with a twister – a technique so rare it is barely ever pulled off successfully in professional competition.
#4 Rebecca Heintzman
The first year of the Singaporean’s career was a busy one, and she captured her fifth win in just nine months with the most complete performance up to that point.
Rebecca Heintzman was a tough nut to crack, and she made it out of the first round, but Lee’s relentless attack with strikes and submission attempts on the ground suggested she was just delaying the inevitable.
Eventually, it was a tight neck crank that sealed the win just 68 seconds into the second stanza.
#3 A Knockout Performance
The story of Lee’s first 12 months as a mixed martial artist was her phenomenal grappling ability, but she showed the world she could win on the biggest stage when she relied on her striking at ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM in March 2017.
Faced with another ground-game specialist in Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang, the Evolve and United MMA representative gave a commanding performance on her feet before she closed the show with strikes on the ground.
#2 Unstoppable Ground Game
Even if you ignore the fact that the ONE Atomweight World Champion came into this defense of her belt against Istela Nunes suffering from pneumonia, this was a great display at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES.
“Unstoppable” neutralized the Brazilian’s world-class striking by dragging her down, and never stopped pushing for a stoppage. Though Nunes survived a twister attempt, she could not escape a tight anaconda choke just past the seven-minute mark.
#1 Becoming A World Champion
Of course, it was an amazing achievement for Lee to become the youngest ever mixed martial arts World Champion at the age of 19, but it was the way in which she defeated Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER that solidified her greatness.
Faced with a veteran opponent whose experience was far greater, “Unstoppable” refused to be overawed, and attacked relentlessly from the opening bell. At one point, that got her into trouble as she was almost knocked out, but she recovered to continue her constant attack, and earn a unanimous decision.
“I told you guys I was born for this – this moment right here. I worked really hard for it,” Lee told Mitch Chilson after the contest.
“I was just thinking, I’ve got to survive this – Mei’s going to give it all she’s got, and I’ve got to give it right back at her. It was an awesome fight, 25 minutes back-and-forth.”
