The Lee name became synonymous with ONE Championship in the late 2010s/early 2020s, with Angela Lee claiming atomweight gold, and Christian Lee becoming a double champ at lightweight and welterweight.

Victoria Lee, the third of the Hawaiian-Canadian siblings to compete for ONE Championship, made her debut with the company at the tender age of 16, quickly building up a 3-0 record through three fights in 2021. In December of 2022, Lee tragically took her own life, leading sister Angela to later vacate her atomweight title, focusing instead on charitable efforts and family.

With Christian Lee on hiatus but in his brother’s camp, Adrian Lee was the first sibling to return to action following the loss of Victoria, taking on Antonio Mammarella. And things started off well for the debuting fighter, landing a takedown in all of 30 seconds, allowing him to work from half-guard, drop elbows, then posture up and fire lefts, rights, and knee strikes.

When Mammarella posted up, Lee briefly wrapped up a choke, but they would move back to center, trading. Lee landed his jab, Antonio Mammarella landed some low kicks, but ref Herb Dean briefly halted the action when Mammarella lost his mouth piece. With action back underway, it wasn’t long before Lee had his opponent back down, unleashing left hands along the fence. Mammarella, to his credit, powered up, but ate a knee to the head then found himself dragged back down.

Late in the round, Lee locked up a slick inverted triangle and then transitioned to a kimura, only for Mammarella to be saved by the horn.

Another early takedown arrived for Adrian Lee in the second, but the fight didn’t stay down, and Mammarella later found some success on the feet, putting Lee on his heels. The teenager found grace under fire, however, and managed to convert another takedown, moving to half-guard and looking to pass to mount. Lee wound up taking the back, then wrapped up a rear-naked choke, forcing Mammarella to tap just seconds later and winning his professional and promotional debut!

Showing a smart game plan and fight IQ beyond his years looked strong for an 0-0 fighter; if nothing else Adrian Lee certainly did his family proud at ONE 167.

Official Result: Adrian Lee def. Antonio Mammarella by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:56

The post Adrian Lee Debuts at ONE 167, Looks Strong in Submission Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

She also confirmed in that same story that sister Victoria Lee, also a professional mixed martial artist who was unbeaten under the ONE banner, took her own life in December 2022.

The death of 18-year old Victoria Lee sent shockwaves through the MMA community. Angela Lee’s revelation that she attempted to take her own life as the pressures of fighting mounted will no doubt do the same.

Lee became the face of ONE Championship when she captured the promotion’s atomweight title in 2016, part of a nine-fight win streak that saw her win her first five fights via submission, including a rarely-seen Twister.

But in 2017, as she prepared to defend her title, Lee began to feel the pressure, especially in regards to making weight. It led her to try to take her own life. ““My car crash in November 2017 was not an accident. It was a suicide attempt,” wrote Lee, getting into the pressures she felt despite everything in her life going so well.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about the shame that would result if I wasn’t able to make the fight. As someone who had never missed any competition in her entire life, that terrified me. It became all-encompassing,” Lee wrote about her feeling ahead of the fight, and ultimately, the car crash that could have claimed her life. “And, ultimately, I got to a point where I would rather take myself out of the equation than deal with what might come.”

Before going so far as deliberately crashing her own car, Lee revealed that she attempted to break her own arm and give herself a concussion to get out of the fight, a rematch with Mei Yamaguchi. She was 12 pounds overweight at the time. “When those things didn’t work, I decided to get in my car and leave it up to fate to see what happens next,” Lee wrote.

It took the atomweight champion, then just 22-years old and newly engaged, two tries to build up the courage to drive her car off the road.

“That second try, I built up more courage, or whatever you want to call it, and I just pressed my foot all the way down on the gas pedal. As far down as it would go. I don’t know how fast I was going. But it was as fast as my car could move. I wanted to hit the guardrail as hard as I could, and I just remember turning the steering wheel and swerving and then hitting something, and then it was just … rolling.”

Lee awoke upside down in her car. Bystanders eventually came to her aid. She would tell no one of the suicide attempt other than husband-to-be Bruno Pucci, a fellow fighter. She went so far as to attend the event she had been scheduled to face Yamaguchi at, greeting fans. Lee would win the rematch with Yamaguchi the following year, and has never lost the ONE atomweight championship, though she has not fought since October of last year.

Years later, the death of sister Victoria convinced Lee to create Fightstory, a non-profit organization, which appears to have helped inspire Angela to share her own story.

“Fightstory was inspired by Victoria and the remarkable life that she lived at just 18 years old. Fightstory is just as much hers as it is mine,” Lee noted. “It’s something we created together, to save lives and to try and make the world a better place. We want people to know that although you may feel lonely in your fight with mental health, you are not alone.”

Angela Lee’s full story, entitled Resilient, is well worth the read. Lee’s younger brother Christian is the current ONE lightweight and welterweight world champion.

The post Angela Lee Reveals 2017 Car Crash Was Attempt to Take Her Own Life appeared first on Cageside Press.

Keith Lee finds a new calling, sparks first feelgood story of 2023 in MMA

2023’s first ten days have pretty much sucked for MMA fans. In a nutshell, Dana White and his wife were involved in a domestic violence incident, Phil Baroni was arrested for murder, Anthony Rocco Martin has been charged with simple assault of a police officer, Dillon Danis dropped out of his fight with KSI, Ilia Topuria was involved in a bar fight, another former UFC fighter was charged with a brutal assault, Victoria Lee tragically passed away at the age of 18, and Diego Sanchez has somehow managed to get licensed to fight in bare-knuckle boxing.

All that comes after a rough end to 2022 with the UFC involved in a betting scandal, three of its fighters for some reason choosing to visit Chechnya to shoot guns and celebrate the birthday of a dictator’s son, and a judging controversy.

So thank you, Keith Lee, former Bellator fighter, who found a new calling as a food critic, and has helped boost business by the thousands for several restaurants. Oh, and he still intends to fight.

MMA Fighting did an upbeat 1-on-1 with Lee recently, which you can check out — or just jump to his TikTok to get his food reviews directly. Or better yet do both.

After a rough start to the year, we all needed that.

Dillon Danis banned by Misfits Boxing

After no-showing a press conference then dropping out of his fight with KSI altogether, Dillon Danis has been banned by Misfits Boxing.

Banned from what isn’t clear, since it’s pretty clear he never had any intention of showing up.

Somewhat unrelated, but here’s a clip of Danis being eviscerated by Ariel Helwani.

Happy holidays pic.twitter.com/7PVOKelqRs

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 22, 2022

Baroni formally charged with Femicide in Mexico

Former UFC fighter Phil Baroni, who fought all over the globe in a career that saw stops in Strikeforce, KOTC, Bellator, ONE Championship, PRIDE, and other organizations, has been formally charged with femicide in Mexico.

“Femicide” is generally defined as the killing of a woman or women due to their gender. As previously reported by Cageside Press and other outlets, Baroni was arrested in Mexico after flagging police in San Pacho and alerting them to an unresponsive female in his hotel room. Baroni allegedly told police that after the woman, identified as his girlfriend, confessed to cheating on him, he demanded she take a shower — then physically threw her into the shower when she refused.

Baroni allegedly claimed that the woman later laid down in bed, and that he covered her with a sheet before leaving to get cigarettes at her request. However, per a report by ESPN Deportes (in Spanish), prosecutors identified 37 injuries on the victim’s body.

Multiple sources confirmed Baroni’s involvement to Cageside Press after the allegations first surfaced, as reports initially did not identify the suspect. He’s now looking at a prison sentence between 50 to 75 years, if convicted.

Baroni last fought in MMA in 2019, and later announced his retirement from the sport. He won a boxing match in Mexico the following year, and per his social media presence, has been living in the country.

The former fighter is being housed at the CERESO Venustiano Carranza (state prison) in Tepic.

UFC pays tribute to late Victoria Lee

In an unexpected and welcome move, the UFC opted to pay tribute to late ONE Championship fighter Victoria Lee at the start of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 67 card.

The move comes as a surprise given the promotion often pretends as if the competition simply doesn’t exist — and none of the Lee siblings have ever competed for the organization.

The unfortunate passing of the 18-year old fighter transcends all that, however. Victoria Lee was a kind soul in a sport built on bravado and machismo, whose future looked as bright as the stars, with brother Cristian and sister Angela already hitting those heights.

The sport and world are all the worse without her. Good on the UFC for recognizing that.

RIP Victoria Lee. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/DujknAETVb

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 14, 2023

And Stephan Bonnar. Man, what a rough night

A second tribute at UFC Vegas 67 saw the main card open with a tribute to the late Stephan Bonnar.

Bonnar, like Lee, passed away in December, at the age of 45, of presumed heart complications.

Bonnar, along with Forrest Griffin, has long been credited with saving the UFC thanks to their memorable war at the original Ultimate Fighter finale in 2005. Though Griffin won the fight, both men were awarded UFC contracts, with the fight landing them in the promotion’s Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bonnar’s struggles in recent years were unfortunate, and he never achieved the same heights as Griffin in terms of career accolades. Yet his place as a fan favorite at a make-or-break time for the sport should not be overlooked; were it not for the Stephen Bonnars of the world, the UFC might never had made it.

Il a changé le visage des MMA.

Ce soir, nous rendons hommage a Stephen Bonnar. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/jrE6xXS2Ou

— UFC Québec (@UFCQuebec) January 15, 2023

The KSI vs. FaZe Temperrr card was… unwatchable at times

When your “mystery fighter” is a supposed pro boxer who fans accused of either taking a dive or being the worst pro ever (that’s Luis Alcaraz Pineda, for those unaware) after losing to KSI last year, you’ve got a problem. That was the scene in London on Saturday, where Pineda was revealed as the opponent of TikTok content creator BDave. Or is it DaveB? Dave and Busters? Whatever.

The celebrity boxing fad, outside of Jake Paul, is getting a bit long in the tooth. KSI himself might be able to draw things out, if he keeps getting the right match-ups. But Pineda, a pro who was left winded in a three round fight, versus BDave, was unwatchable. The fact that the “mystery fighter” came out to the Undertaker’s entrance theme (at least initially) felt like a sad parody of Israel Adesanya doing the same last year.

On the plus side, MMA vet Anthony Taylor picked up a win at the event. Full results can be found here.

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: UFC Pays Tribute to Victoria Lee, Keith Lee Finds Fame as Food Critic appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee’s passing. I first met Victoria when she was 11 years old. I watched her blossom over the years as a martial artist and a human being. I always remember thinking how wise, thoughtful, and selfless she was beyond her years. Of course, she was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy even back then, but I could see that she was so much more than that. Victoria had the purest heart of gold and a brilliant mind. She looked after others before herself. She wanted to use her life to help the world. I will always remember Victoria for the beautiful and precious soul that she was.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Angela Lee Pucci (@angelaleemma)

No cause of death has been released by the Lee family or ONE Championship.

The post ONE President Chatri Sityodtong Releases Statement On Victoria Lee’s Passing appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lee, the younger sister of ONE champions Angela and Christian Lee, died on December 26, with Angela Lee revealing the tragic news on Saturday.

No cause of death has been disclosed.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Angela Lee called her sister “the most beautiful soul who ever lived,” adding that the Lee family would never be the same, and were devastated by the loss.

You can read her statement in its entirety below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnINSVoS21s/

On December 26, 2022 our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through…

It is incredibly difficult to say this…

Our Victoria passed away.

She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then.
We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.

Victoria was the most beautiful soul who ever lived. She was the best little sister in the world. The best daughter, the best granddaughter and the best godma / aunty to Ava and Alia.

We miss you so much sis. More than you could ever realize. We’re all broken. Because a piece of you was in each of us and when you left, those pieces were ripped out of us.
We will never be the same.

Each and every little thing makes me think of you. From the sun rays, to the sunset. You taught us to see the beauty in the simple things. You were our bright light. Our sunshine. And that will never change. You were perfect in every way. The best person I knew. The most beautiful girl, inside and out.

We love you Victoria. I love you Sprout. Until the end of time.

Please give our family grace and respect during this most difficult time. And please, check on your loved ones. Keep checking on them. Give them hugs and tell them how much they mean to you. You just never know.

Victoria Lee made a huge splash in her short time with ONE Championship, compiling a 3-0 record in the promotion’s atomweight division, where sister Angela reigns as champion. All three of her wins came inside the distance, with her most recent action taking place in September of 2021.

Following that fight, she told Cageside Press that it was a blessing to have her siblings supporting her as she embarked on a career in MMA.

“It’s definitely such a blessing for me to have my brother and sister there in my corner all the time,” she stated. “They’ve gone on almost the exact same journey as me, so whenever I have questions, they’ve already been through it, and they’re able to give me insights that no one else would really know. It’s awesome.”

Lee turned heads by making her debut for ONE Championship at just 16, but appeared to take the attention, and fighting against older, more experienced opponents, in stride. In just a few short years, she made her mark on the sport, in a career and life that has tragically ended too soon.

The post ONE Championship’s Victoria Lee, Sister of Champions Angela and Christian Lee, Passes Away at 18 appeared first on Cageside Press.

We all know at least a few of the famous siblings who have made an impact in the MMA world. Among them are the Nogueira brothers, Diaz brothers, Shamrock brothers, and the Pitbull brothers. You also have the Lima brothers, Shevchenko sisters, Miller brothers, and a whole lot more. Recently, Orion and Louis Cosce fought their way into the UFC by way of the Contender Series. The Daukaus brothers fight there as well.

The most well-known siblings out there today arguably aren’t fighting for the UFC nor Bellator, however, but instead for ONE Championship. Angela (10-2) and Christian (15-4) Lee have been tearing it up in ONE Championship for the last six years. First, it was Angela that made her debut for ONE; a few months later Christian joined her, with the pair quickly becoming key players in the company. A year after Angela Lee made her debut, she captured the ONE atomweight title. It took Christian a little bit longer, but he won the ONE lightweight title in 2019. Today, Angela is still the champ, while Christian just recently lost his title in a very close decision loss.

The Lee siblings have been a major staple and the face of ONE Championship for years. To make matters worse for the competition now the pair’s younger sister, Victoria Lee (3-0), has joined them and is thriving in MMA. Victoria made her MMA debut that was for ONE last year and she went three for three in the year.

What other standout sibling fighters are out there in terms of MMA prospects? Let’s take a look.

The post Family Business: A Look At Sibling Prospects in MMA appeared first on Cageside Press.

Welterweight, Mohammad Alaqraa (2-0)

Alaqraa wasted no time getting in and out of this fight with no issues. Outside of a good leg kick on the feet, Alaqraa got the takedown quick. Right away he transitioned to the back and was locked on. Alaqraa landed good ground and pound before locking in the RNC for the tap. It would’ve been nice to see the fight go longer so he could show a lot more.
Grade: C+

Welterweight Wisem Hammami (6-0)

Outside of getting taken down twice this fight was all Hammami. Even though he was taken down he got right back up. Noting big really stood out but Hammami fought smart and tactically. Hammami fought outside the jab, landed the one-two, and chopped away at the lead leg. The leg kicks were his best weapon but fighting at his preferred range won him the fight.
Grade: B-

Strawweight, Julie Mezabarba (9-2-1)

Making her ONE Championship debut, Mezabarba was thrown right into stiff competition fighting the 33-fight veteran Mei Yamaguchi. Mezabarba never let Yamaguchi get going taking control of the entire fight. She fought on the outside well and every time Yamaguchi came forward she got caught. That sneaky counter-right uppercut landed a few times. Mezabarba landed a superman punch a few times to close the distance. When Yamaguchi got Mezabarba it was Mezabarba beating her up in the clinch.
Grade: B

Bantamweight, Kevin Cordero (12-2)

Cordero fought Bellator veteran Ricky Bandejas who is very talented. A large portion of the fight played on the outside in kickboxing range. I’d like to say Cordero was getting better of the exchanges landing better with his kicks and throwing more frequently. At the end of the round, Bandejas got the takedown twice. Cordero off his back locked in the triangle and put Bandejas out cold in round one.
Grade: A

Featherweight, Hae Jin Park (9-1)

Soo Chul Kim, a top prospect in 2017, made his return to the cage off a four-year layoff. He was welcomed back with a loss but it was fun while it lasted. Both guys took it to each other right away. In close in a phone booth, these guys were throwing down. Kim was leaving space in the clinch and it was allowing Park to land uppercuts and punches over the top. Park tried to grab hold of the leg to get the takedown but Kim had none of it. As they were exchanging in the clinch Park clocked Kim with a left hand dropping him. Park jumped in on a guillotine and it put Kim out cold. Park took a lot of damage and was failing at a lot of takedowns which takes away from his overall performance.
Grade: C+

Lightweight, Seung Mo Park (3-0)

It only took 25 seconds for Seung Mo Park to move to 3-0. He began light on his feet bouncing around. He missed with a wheel kick but followed up with a left hand that buckled his opponent. He then dropped him briefly with an uppercut and swarmed with punches, dropping him again and sending the ref in.
Grade: C

Bantamweight, Hyun Woo Kim (3-0)

Kim started with a frantic pace bringing it right to his opponent just letting his hands fly. Kim landed a body punch that visibly made his opponent uncomfortable. He let loose going body head rapidly along the fence. Everything was landed all adding up dropping his opponent to his knees where the ref saved him.
Grade: B-

Flyweight, Jung Hyun Lee (5-0)

Lee impressed me in September with an excellent performance. He walked his opponent down peppering him with multiple jabs and finding his range and picking his shots. While walking forward he battered the inside leg kicking it over and over. Lee landed a right hook-left hook on the chin flooring his opponent. The follow-up punches stiffened his opponent and the fight was stopped. Beautiful knockout.
Grade: B

Light heavyweight, Vitor Petrino (6-0)

The young 24-year-old had a huge test in front of him in the form of 27-fight veteran and former UFC fighter Gadzhimurad Antigulov. The Russian Antigulov took Petrino down twice but he got right back up. Early round one Petrino dropped Antigulov with a beautifully timed uppercut. Petrino threw everything at Antigulov tagging him multiple times on the feet. He was finding his strikes as Antigulov came forward. Petrino landed elbows, punches knees, landed a big flying knee at a point before finishing the fight. In round two he landed a nasty left uppercut dropping Antigulov and he put him away.
Grade: A

Welterweight, Ramazan Kuramagomedov (9-0)

This was a blowout performance from Kuramagomedov. He got the takedown right away in round two and dominated top control. His opponent got to his feet at one point but went right back down. Kuramagomedov stayed active with short punches and won every scramble his opponent tried to create. In round two right away he took it right back down with a good double leg takedown. Kuramagomedov stayed busy with ground and pound making it uncomfortable for the guy on the bottom. He eventually transitioned to the back and won with an RNC with seconds left. Pure dominance from Kuramagomedov.
Grade: A

Lightweight, Rahmads Stromanis (2-0)

This was a scrap between two young pros. Stromanis dropped his opponent early with a counter right off a blind kick. He did have to fight through two armbars and got taken down briefly. Round one was close but Stromanis came out even stronger in round two. He dropped his opponent with a left hook. He kept throwing head shots nearly landing every time. It was an awesome superman punch that landed clean for the impressive knockout.
Grade: C+

Strawweight, Josefine Lindgren Knutsson (2-0)

Knutsson continues to impress in MMA staying undefeated. Being a kickboxer her takedown defense was tested. She defended every takedown and landed three brief takedowns of her own. Knutsson did well on the outside but it was in the clinch where she battered her opponent. She was relentless with knees and that’s what she landed in round two to stop the fight. Knutsson put on a one-sided beating over a more experienced MMA fighter.
Grade: B

Welterweight, Roberto Soldić (19-3)

Not the best performance from Soldic but he still looked good nonetheless. Soldic fought veteran Patrik Kincl who is always a tough fight for anyone. He dropped Kincl in twice with a counter punch. He did get taken down in round two and spent a little time off his back. In round three Soldic landed a combination to the body dropping Kincl. From there he got into mount and landed punches until the ref stepped in.
Grade: B-

Flyweight, Paris Moran (5-1)

Moran didn’t do anything spectacular in this fight but he continues to build his resume. Moran fought Contender Series and LFA veteran Nate Smith which was by far his toughest test to date. Smith is a pure wrestler and Moran completely neutralized him. Moran only was taken down once which was briefly. He kept Smith on the outside with his jab and the right hand when he tried to close the gap. Moran fought technical and showed excellent takedown defense. He could’ve pulled the trigger more but he fought smart.
Grade: B-

Heavyweight, Sergey Belostenniy (8-2)

It only took Belostenniy right under a minute to finish tough Brazilian fighter Roggers Souza. Belostenniy started off throwing a lot of hard feints keeping Souza guessing. He tried a little flash landing a spinning kick to the body. Belostenniy let his hands go landing a right-left stunning Souza. He went back throwing and a left hook dropped Souza. Extra grounded punches sent the ref in.
Grade: B+

Flyweight, Alisson Murilo (3-0)

Murilo looked great in this fight, which happens to be the first time I’ve watched him. His striking looked really good throwing frequent combinations. He knocked his opponent down with a slick duck under right to the body and left to the chin. As his opponent got back to his feet Murilo landed a perfectly timed double leg takedown. He quickly transitioned into the mount, landed ground and pound, took the back, and secured the RNC. Superb performance.
Grade: A

Flyweight, Roybert Echeverria (6-0)

Just another easy fight for the Venezuelan Echeverria. He walked his opponent down throwing feints looking for the opening. He threw a good spinning kick up high that was blocked. After a little over a minute, with the first punch he committed to, he knocked his opponent out with the right hand. A really easy fight for Echeverria but fighting a guy that was 0-2 it was expected.
Grade: B-

Bantamweight, Ryan Kuse (5-0)

This was a squash match beating a guy that was 1-12. His opponent rushed forward from the start right into a takedown. Kuse took the back as the guy was getting up and Kuse landed a beautiful high-impact suplex. Kuse stayed on the back threatening the RNC but unloading on the ground and pound until the ref stepped in. A one-sided beating and a fight that shouldn’t have been made.
B+

Flyweight, Victor Dias (10-2)

And still. Titan FC flyweight champion Dias defended his title in what was a good fight. He and his opponent threw heavy shots on the feet including some good kicks from Dias. Dias was taken down but threatened with a guillotine and scrambled to his feet. As the fight went on he got stronger and was driving in on the legs getting the takedown. In round three Dias transitioned nicely to an armbar and after some fight he finally got it extended and the guy tapped.
Grade: B+

Lightweight, Eddy George (4-0)

George was all business in this fight taking care of his opponent with no issues. He came out firing letting his hands go while landing leg kicks. He knocked him down twice with the left hand. Every time he knocked him down he backed off wanting the fight back on the feet. George yet again knocked his opponent down with the left hand and the ref had enough and stepped in.
Grade: C+

Welterweight, Maurice Abévi (4-0)

In my first time watching Abevi, he beat a guy who was on my radar in Kennedy Rayomba. Rayomba was pressing forward the entire time but the footwork and head movement of Abevi were beautiful. Abevi found his range throwing a lot of punches from different angles. He kept throwing that lead uppercut which was coming close at times. Abevi started to mix it up as he got a takedown in round one. He got a takedown in round two right away. The Switzerland-based fighter landed a lot of ground and pound that had Rayomba get up with his neck exposed. Abevi locked in a guillotine and got the win. A really solid performance from Abevi who is now on my radar himself.
Grade: A-

The post MMA Prospect Watch: The Most Impressive Fighters from September appeared first on Cageside Press.

After holding a number of events chopped up into a mix of live and tape delayed segments during the pandemic, Revolution offered a full eleven fights, and three championship matches topping the bill. That included Joshua Pacio putting his strawweight title on the line in a rubber match with Yosuke Saruta, and lightweight champ Christian Lee taking on Ok Rae Yoon.

The third title fight came in kickboxing, as Capitan took on Mehdi Zatout.

Two champs would retain on Friday, as Capitan earned a unanimous decision, and Pacio starched Saruta to end their trilogy. But Christian Lee was not so fortunate, losing via a unanimous decision, but one that sparked controversy nonetheless.

Full results and a gallery of highlights from ONE: Revolution can be found below.

ONE Championship: Revolution Results

Main Card

Ok Rae Yoon def. Christian Lee (c) by unanimous decision – for the ONE lightweight world championship
Capitan (c) def. Mehdi Zatout by unanimous decision – for the ONE kickboxing bantamweight championship
Joshua Pacio (c) def. Yosuke Saruta by TKO, Round 1, 3:38 – for the ONE strawweight world championship
Kim Jae Woong def. Martin Nguyen by knockout, Round 1, 3:15
Anatoly Malukhin def. Amir Aliakbari by knockout, Round 1, 2:57
Victoria Lee def. Victoria Souza by TKO, Round 2, 3:58

Lead Card

Lito Adiwang def. Hexigetu by unanimous decision
Taiki Naito def. Petchdam by split decision – Muay Thai
Marcus Almeida def. Anderson Silva by submission (north-south choke), Round 1, 2:55
Petchtanong Petchfergus def. Zhang Chenglong by unanimous decision – kickboxing
James Yang def. Roel Rosauro by TKO, Round 2, 2:00

The post ONE Championship: Revolution Photo Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Singapore-based card saw her brother toppled as lightweight champ, but the 17-year old Lee had a much better night. Against the previously undefeated Victoria Souza, Lee got the job done with her hands, earning a TKO finish via ground n’ pound.

She’s happy with the result, Lee said during her post-fight press appearance. “I wanted to get a finish, and I did.”

And while she was happy to pick up her first TKO win, it wasn’t something Lee was specifically aiming for. “The plan is just to go in there and finish, whether it be by strikes first or by submission.”

It’s worth noting that at 17-years old, Victoria Lee is still growing, not just as a fighter but potentially physically as well. And fighting women a fair bit older than her — in this case, Souza had a full seven years on her. But Lee told Cageside Press on Friday that she didn’t feel at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

“Based off of my past three fights, I don’t feel that I’m giving up any strength to my opponents, as we all have to make the same weight at 115,” said Lee. Note that under ONE Championship’s weight-cutting rules, the atomweight division, usually 105lbs, sees fighters hit the scales 10lbs heavier. “So we’re all around the same size, and I’ve been training martial arts for a very long time, and I feel that my skills and just my body conditioning has improved to a level where I’m able to compete with other adults.”

One advantage that Lee carries is that the family business is fighting: Lee’s brother Christian is now a former champ, while older sister Angela is the current ONE atomweight champion.

“It’s definitely such a blessing for me to have my brother and sister there in my corner all the time,” she stated. “They’ve gone on almost the exact same journey as me, so whenever I have questions, they’ve already been through it, and they’re able to give me insights that no one else would really know. It’s awesome.”

Preparing to fight alongside her brother didn’t add too much in the way of nerves, she added. “I feel more of the benefits, that we get to train together, and travel together, and just experience everything fight week. I get to be there and experience it with them. Honestly I don’t get nervous for my brother and my sister’s fights, because I’m always there with them training and watching, seeing how hard they work, so when they get into the cage, I don’t feel nervous for them.”

Watch the full ONE: Revolution post-fight media scrum with Victoria Lee above. More coverage from the event can be found below.

The post ONE: Revolution’s Victoria Lee Says Skills, Body Conditioning Help Her Compete with Older Fighters appeared first on Cageside Press.

Opening up the ONE: Revolution main card, the now 17-year old Lee earned her third straight win, third straight stoppage, and first knockout win of any flavor against Brazil’s Victoria Souza. The victory improves Lee’s record to 3-0, after she turned pro earlier this year at just 16.

Lee is the younger sister of Angela and Christian Lee, who have both hit the pinnacle of success in ONE Championship. Angela remains the promotion’s undisputed atomweight champion; brother Christian was unseated in a lightweight title fight atop Friday’s card.

Victoria Lee had a much better night at the office. Early on, she found success with her right hand, firing her jab. Souza’s face was soon glowing red; when the pair went to the ground, it was Lee on top. Souza trapped a leg, preventing the younger fighter from mounting. But as Souza worked her way back to the fence, Lee began dropping elbows.

Souza would make it up, but she was right back down with Lee again in control. The teenager would wind up spending some time on her back late in the round, but never seemed to be in danger.

The second round saw Lee take hold of her opponent with a body lock and fire knees. Lee worked for a trip, got the fight down with a throw, and went back to the elbows she had employed in the opening round, foreshadowing what was to come. While she wouldn’t finish the fight then and there, the end would come later in the round off another Lee takedown. Lee worked on a mounted guillotine before trapping an arm and finishing the fight with ground n’ pound, a volley of elbows landing on Souza before the ref finally waved things off.

Now 3-0 as a pro, Lee has had an extremely successful 2021, and looked comfortable in the cage Friday. It might be too early to start talking about a step up in competition, but if she continues performing the way she has, that will likely come sooner rather than later.

Official Result: Victoria Lee def. Victoria Souza by TKO, Round 2, 3:58

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