Angela Lee Vs. Stamp Fairtex Named ONE’s 2022 MMA Fight Of The Year
There were plenty of amazing battles in the mixed martial arts ranks over the past 12 months, but the drama of Angela Lee vs. Stamp Fairtex at ONE X in March was enough to win ONE’s 2022 MMA Fight of the Year.
Lee was returning to defend her ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title after a long break surrounding the birth of her daughter, while Stamp was on a roll after winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix with a trio of victories in 2021.
Nobody knew whether the division’s reigning queen would be the same – either physically or mentally – after so much time away, but she lived up to her “Unstoppable” nickname with an incredible display of heart at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
This matchup was billed as a clash of striker versus grappler, with BJJ black belt Lee pitting her ground acumen against the former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion.
The reality is that both women have honed their skills in all areas of MMA, but the initial stereotypes still came to fruition early on.
“Unstoppable” tried to punch her way into a clinch, though Stamp did a good job of fending off the takedown attempts. Back out in the open, she made the Singaporean-American pay with a wince-inducing left hook to the liver that doubled her over in pain.
The Thai then swarmed the defending World Champion and ripped shots to the body and head, but Lee literally held on as she grabbed hold of a leg and tried to find some time to recover.
And recover she did. With her body now obeying her commands again, “Unstoppable” dragged Stamp to the mat and took her back, dominating the rest of the stanza as she fished for a rear-naked choke.
The Fairtex athlete’s improved ground game kept her in the match, and she made it to round two. However, Lee was now confident that she could dominate on the canvas.
After hitting the mat again, it was Stamp’s chance to showcase her durability. She battled out of a tight triangle and a twister, but “Unstoppable” gave her no respite.
Lee swiftly transitioned to the back again, and this time, she managed to sink in the rear-naked choke that forced the tap from the challenger at 4:50 of the second frame.
Lee proved that her time away from the Circle had not dented her will or her skill as she successfully defended her ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title for the fifth time.
On the other side, Stamp’s stock also rose with a commendable performance against the division’s most dominant athlete of all time.
While nothing is set in stone, it’s likely fans will get to see the pair square off for a second time at some point in the future.
