The 5 Reasons Behind Angela Lee’s Incredible Success

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee has emerged as one of the biggest stars in ONE Championship, and a leading light for women everywhere. 

The 21-year-old will attempt to shine even brighter on Friday, 18 May, when she returns to action at ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. She will defend her belt against top contender Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi, in a hotly-anticipated world title rematch in the night’s main event.

Sometimes an athlete’s star power can be hard to define, but in the case of Lee, it is very clear just why she is the huge superstar she is. Here are five key reasons behind the “Unstoppable” one’s great success.

#1 She Overcomes Adversity At Every Turn

Lee may still be young, but she has had to battle through her fair share of tough situations, in order to head into 2018 as the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, including her last appearance in the ONE cage.

The Singaporean successfully defended her title against Brazil’s Istela Nunes, despite being diagnosed with pneumonia the week before the bout. She was far from 100 percent on the night of the bout, but produced one of the grittiest performances of her career to claim a second-round submission win via anaconda choke.

Ahead of her upcoming rematch with Yamaguchi at ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS, Lee had to deal with even more adversity.

Last November, she was involved in a serious car accident, and took time away to physically and mentally recover. But now, she is ready to step back into the cage, and defend her title against the only woman to ever knock her down, let alone take her the distance.

#2 She Is As Skilled As She Is Well-Rounded

Lee is a rarity in the sense that she has spent her entire career in ONE, from her professional debut in May 2015, to her most recent world title defense against Nunes in May 2017.

Even more rare, she has progressed to the top of the organization without suffering a single blemish on her record. Considering she started her martial arts career at the tender age of 18 going up against the world’s best, it is a remarkable achievement.

The Singaporean’s career record currently stands at a perfect 8-0, and she claimed the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in only her sixth professional bout when she defeated Yamaguchi via unanimous decision at the aptly-titled ONE: ASCENT TO POWER in May 2016. 

Also, fans have been able to witness her startling growth over the course of her nearly three-year pro career. She has developed a fierce stand-up game under the careful eye of the Muay Thai world champions at Evolve MMA, and recently got her BJJ black belt.

#3 She Is A Certified Finisher

Lee is one of the most prolific finishers in the entire promotion.

In her eight-bout career, she has finished seven of her opponents inside the distance – six by submission, and one by TKO. 

It is plain to see “Unstoppable” favors the grappling game, having finished four opponents via a variety of choke or crank-based techniques, but as her TKO of Jenny Huang showed, her striking is fast catching up with her submission prowess.

She also has a flair of the spectacular, having scored one of the rare few twister submissions in the world when she finished Natalie Gonzalez Hills in just her third bout.

#4 She Has All The Right Values

Lee’s background and persona reflect the core values that every parent would want to see in their children, and shows the true benefits of a supportive family, as well as martial arts.

The prodigy grew up in a martial arts family, and began her training in multiple disciplines ever since she could walk. Once her younger brother, ONE Featherweight World Title challenger Christian “The Warrior” Lee, came along, the pair have been improving their skills together ever since.  

Her displays of class after her victories, and her willingness to give her time to her fans, shows an athlete that not only has immense skill, but a heart for her fans, too. And competing in ONE, which places martial arts and the values of integrity, honor, humility, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion at its center, Lee could not be a better figurehead for young fans who follow her every move.

#5 She Does Her Best To Inspire Women Around The World

As a young, vibrant female world champion, Lee is breaking the mold, and giving women of all ages a legitimate sporting role model to look up to.

The Singaporean’s incredible achievements in such a short space of time have propelled her to bonafide superstardom, and her warm, easy-going personality makes her a compelling star to gravitate towards.

Lee’s story is still being written, but after only eight bouts, she is already one of the most revered stars on the ONE roster. Only 21 years old, she is just getting started, and her meteoric rise shows no sign of stalling.

In fact, you could say it seems “Unstoppable.”