ONE atomweight world champion Angela Lee may never compete again after the tragic death of her sister, Victoria Lee.
Victoria died in December last year due to an undisclosed cause and her death came as a major shock to the MMA community. In the aftermath, the family-run MMA training facility, United MMA in Hawaii, was permanently closed, and now it seems that some key members of the family may leave the world of MMA for good.
“Angela Lee is likely not coming back due to the loss of her sister,” ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong said during a Facebook Live.
Christian Lee, who currently holds the ONE lightweight and welterweight world titles, will make his return to fighting next year, however.
In Angela’s absence, Stamp Fairtex and Seo Hee Ham will fight for the interim atomweight title in August, Chatri revealed in a separate interview with SCMP.
“I spoke to Christian two days ago and he blessed everything,” Chatri said. “I hadn’t talked to him about work stuff since Victoria’s passing. It was our first work talk. Angela is still undecided on her return, but could likely retire. Stamp versus Ham is interim.”
Angela most recently fought at ONE on PRIME Video 2 in October 2022, when she failed in her attempt to capture the strawweight title, losing to Xiong Jing Nan by decision.
The 26-year-old is undefeated at atomweight with her most recent win coming against Stamp Fairtex at ONE: X.
Lee’s younger sister, Victoria, was a 3-0 pro fighter, who was regarded as one of the top prospects in the promotion.
