Former ONE Champ Angela Lee Considered UFC Move: ‘It’s Crossed My Mind’

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Angela Lee can’t assist however surprise how she would have fared within the UFC.

Lee turned the youngest fighter in MMA historical past to win a world title, claiming the ONE atomweight championship at 19 years previous by way of a unanimous choice victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016. Within the years that adopted, ‘Unstoppable’ turned probably the most thrilling fighters on the roster, delivering a collection of immediate classics, together with an iconic trilogy with Xiong Jing Nan and an absolute banger in opposition to her eventual successor, Stamp Fairtex, at ONE Championship’s Tenth-anniversary occasion in Singapore.

She efficiently defended her atomweight crown on 5 separate events and twice competed for the strawweight world title.

Sadly, Lee laid down her gold and her gloves at ONE Struggle Night time 14 in September 2023 following the tragic passing of her 18-year-old sister and ONE Championship prospect Victoria Lee.

Reflecting on her profession in fight sports activities, Lee admits that she usually thought of what it could have been wish to step out of the ONE Championship highlight and into the Octagon to check herself in opposition to a brand new crop of expertise.

“I feel for those who ask any fighter, any champion, they wanna exit and take a look at themselves,” Lee said in an interview with Demetrious Johnson. “That’s what it means to be a fighter. You’re at all times searching for the subsequent problem. In case you ask any of them, sure, one hundred pc, they’d like to go and combat one of the best of one of the best and actually discover out who was No. 1.

“It’s come throughout my thoughts a number of occasions, after all, seeing the top-level fighters in different organizations. Trying again now, it’s actually exhausting as a result of whenever you’re within the group, particularly on the high, it’s such a scary factor to exit and bounce ship or attempt.”

Angela Lee knew it was time to put down her gloves

Following the loss of life of her sister, Lee was impressed to handle her personal struggles with psychological well being and acknowledge that her passion for mixed martial arts simply wasn’t there anymore.

“I informed myself, I adore it, I adore it, I adore it, for therefore lengthy,” Lee stated. “After some time, I wasn’t actually trustworthy with myself about like, ‘Hey, I feel I is perhaps getting burnt out. Hey, this isn’t actually enjoyable anymore. I desire a break.’ However I didn’t know how one can or … I did voice it as much as my workforce and my household, however there was some disagreement about, ‘Hey, this isn’t actually the time to try this and this and that.’”

Final 12 months, Lee launched FightStory, a non-profit psychological well being group impressed by the lifetime of Victoria Lee. “Our mission is to encourage, heal, and unite the world via the tales, struggles, and triumphs of fighters from all walks of life,” the official web site reads.