Angela Lee: ‘Keeping The Belt is a Lot Harder Than Winning it’

ONE Championship atomweight title holder Angela Lee knows the difficulties of being at the top of the mountain. At the age of 20, Lee has not only become the ONE Championship atomweight ruler, but she’s also successfully defended her title. This Friday night (May 26), she’ll defend her title for the second time against Istela Nunes. […]

ONE Championship atomweight title holder Angela Lee knows the difficulties of being at the top of the mountain. At the age of 20, Lee has not only become the ONE Championship atomweight ruler, but she’s also successfully defended her title. This Friday night (May 26), she’ll defend her title for the second time against Istela Nunes. […]

10 Female Fighters Who Could Be The Next Ronda Rousey

It’s been almost six months since Ronda Rousey suffered her second crushing defeat in the UFC, and by all accounts we may have seen her fight for the last time in the Octagon. Now the hunt is on to find the next female superstar in the sport, and in this article we’ll be looking at […]

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It’s been almost six months since Ronda Rousey suffered her second crushing defeat in the UFC, and by all accounts we may have seen her fight for the last time in the Octagon.

Now the hunt is on to find the next female superstar in the sport, and in this article we’ll be looking at 10 women who are best placed to fill the void left by Rousey, from existing stars with the potential to take their fame to the next level, to up-and-coming prospects who have shown promising signs they could be the next big thing in WMMA.

To be clear, what we’re looking for here are not just talented fighters, but rather those who, like Rousey or indeed Gina Carano before her, also have that elusive ‘it factor’ that could enable them to gain mainstream recognition and become a major draw on pay-per-view.

Before we begin though, here’s a few honorable mentions to these talented ladies who just missed out on making the list but are worthy of recognition: Michelle Waterson, Ilima Macfarlane, Alexa Grasso, Julianna Pena, Holly Holm, Megan Anderson and Kayla Harrison.

10. Anastasia Yankova

In some circles, Anastasia Yankova is already being touted as the ‘Russian Ronda Rousey’.

The 26 year-old has gained considerable attention for her stunning looks and has over 180,000 followers on Instagram, but she has been training in martial arts since she was six and is a former Russian Muay Thai champion.

Her star potential was quickly recognized when she transitioned to MMA and with just two wins under her belt, Bellator jumped at the chance to sign Yankova in 2016.

She’s since improved to 5-0 and demonstrated that she’s more than just a striker by claiming three victories by way of submission.

There’s no doubt Yankova is a marketer’s dream and she’s already struck up sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Reebok, been featured in the Russian edition of Vogue, and speaks English fluently enough to have been interviewed by TMZ.

The caveat here is that though she remains unbeaten her performances in the cage so far suggest she’s still a work in progress, and so doubts remains as to how she’ll cope when the level of competition increases, with another rising Bellator star, Ilima Macfarlane being among those eager to derail her hype train.

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Angela Lee Says Fighting Joanna Jedrzejczyk Would be a ‘Really Great Opportunity’

Angela Lee isn’t shying away from the possibility of taking on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competition. Lee is the reigning ONE Championship atomweight title holder. While she isn’t considered a strawweight under the promotion, she does fight at 115 pounds which is the strawweight limit in the UFC. “Unstoppable” has been considered a top prospect […]

Angela Lee isn’t shying away from the possibility of taking on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competition. Lee is the reigning ONE Championship atomweight title holder. While she isn’t considered a strawweight under the promotion, she does fight at 115 pounds which is the strawweight limit in the UFC. “Unstoppable” has been considered a top prospect […]

Top 10 Most Exciting MMA Fights Of 2016

With another year coming to a close, everyone embarks on their annual year-end traditions. Many gather with family and friends at this festive time of year, exchanging gifts and holiday cheer. Some concoct a new strategy for keeping their New Year’s resolution, for real this time. Others overindulge in delicious food and drink too much

The post Top 10 Most Exciting MMA Fights Of 2016 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

With another year coming to a close, everyone embarks on their annual year-end traditions. Many gather with family and friends at this festive time of year, exchanging gifts and holiday cheer. Some concoct a new strategy for keeping their New Year’s resolution, for real this time. Others overindulge in delicious food and drink too much egg nog.

But fight fans are different. Now is the time to look back and reflect on the past 12 months, and then argue about who had the best knockout, submission, or fight of the year. In this installment of the annual year-end awards from LowKickMMA, we pick and rank the ten best scraps of 2016.

From title shots and super fights with sky-high stakes to undercard tussles that unexpectedly turned into thrilling wars, these were the all-time classics of 2016. Read on for the must-see list of brawls to show that uninitiated family member this holiday season.

10. Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson

UFC 204 on October 8, 2016 – Manchester, England:

“The Count” began his unlikely title reign with a most unlikely defense, and it turned into one of the best fights of the year. Many fans and pundits – and other top contenders – maligned Henderson getting a title shot after going 3-6 in his previous nine fights. But the story was too good to pass up.

Bisping sought revenge on the man to hand him his most devastating loss, the infamous, brutal knockout at UFC 100. “Hendo” had been hinting at retirement for some time, and when the fight was announced, he claimed that it would be his swan song. The narratives were set: would Bisping redeem himself or suffer another humiliating loss to his greatest rival? Would Hendo finally capture the UFC belt that had eluded him during his hall of fame career and go out on top?

The bout was extremely tense from the outset. The stakes could not be any higher, a loss for either man a crushing blow. As many expected, the champion had success with his diverse and high-volume kickboxing, while the challenger had his bazooka right hand cocked. Toward the end of the first round, Henderson detonated his famed “H-Bomb” on Bisping’s chin, but the Brit hung on, clinging to consciousness as his American counterpart hammered him relentlessly.

The pattern repeated in round two. Bisping got out to a lead before being felled by another massive right hand. Again, he refused to go away. Henderson failed to connect with a third “H-Bomb” and thus saw his lead slip away over the final three rounds. Observers were split as to who should emerge with the victory, many even scoring the fight a draw. When the judges’ scores were announced, it was Bisping who escaped with his title reign intact.

The post Top 10 Most Exciting MMA Fights Of 2016 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE “Ascent To Power” Results: Angela Lee, Roger Gracie Claim Gold

ONE Ascent to Power

Angela Lee and Roger Gracie were crowned new ONE champions Friday night at ONE: Ascent to Power.

Lee earned a decision over Mei Yamaguchi in the main event inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, becoming the first-ever ONE female atomweight champion.

The victory was the first time in six fights that the 19-year-old “Unstoppable” was pushed outside of the second round. She had finished all five of her previous foes, including three in the first round.

Gracie, a veteran of the UFC and Strikeforce, slipped an arm triangle choke on Michal Pasternak in the first round to become the inaugural ONE light heavyweight champion.

In other action, former ONE featherweight champion Narantungalag Jadambaa defeated ex-ONE lightweight titleholder Kotetsu Boku via third round submission, while Christian Lee – the brother of Angela Lee – scored another quick finish.

Complete results can be found below:

Angela Lee def. Mei Yamaguchi via unanimous decision to become the ONE female atomweight champion

Roger Gracie def. Michal Pasternak via technical submission (arm triangle) at 2:13 of Round 1 to become the ONE light heavyweight champion

Narantungalag Jadambaa def. Kotetsu Boku via submission (Von Flue choke) at 1:27 of Round 3

Christian Lee def. Cary Bullos via submission (D’Arce choke at 2:07 of Round 1)

Tatsuya Mizuno def. Mohamed Ali via TKO (strikes) at 3:52 of Round 2

Amir Khan def. John Chang via TKO (strikes) at 3:39 of Round 1

Benedict Ang def. Jimmy Yabo via submission (strikes) at 3:11 of Round 3

Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev def. Ma Jia Wen via TKO (strikes) at 1:57 of Round 1

Agilan Thani def. Brad Robinson via TKO (soccer kick/strikes) at 4:40 of Round 1

ONE Ascent to Power

Angela Lee and Roger Gracie were crowned new ONE champions Friday night at ONE: Ascent to Power.

Lee earned a decision over Mei Yamaguchi in the main event inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, becoming the first-ever ONE female atomweight champion.

The victory was the first time in six fights that the 19-year-old “Unstoppable” was pushed outside of the second round. She had finished all five of her previous foes, including three in the first round.

Gracie, a veteran of the UFC and Strikeforce, slipped an arm triangle choke on Michal Pasternak in the first round to become the inaugural ONE light heavyweight champion.

In other action, former ONE featherweight champion Narantungalag Jadambaa defeated ex-ONE lightweight titleholder Kotetsu Boku via third round submission, while Christian Lee – the brother of Angela Lee – scored another quick finish.

Complete results can be found below:

Angela Lee def. Mei Yamaguchi via unanimous decision to become the ONE female atomweight champion

Roger Gracie def. Michal Pasternak via technical submission (arm triangle) at 2:13 of Round 1 to become the ONE light heavyweight champion

Narantungalag Jadambaa def. Kotetsu Boku via submission (Von Flue choke) at 1:27 of Round 3

Christian Lee def. Cary Bullos via submission (D’Arce choke at 2:07 of Round 1)

Tatsuya Mizuno def. Mohamed Ali via TKO (strikes) at 3:52 of Round 2

Amir Khan def. John Chang via TKO (strikes) at 3:39 of Round 1

Benedict Ang def. Jimmy Yabo via submission (strikes) at 3:11 of Round 3

Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev def. Ma Jia Wen via TKO (strikes) at 1:57 of Round 1

Agilan Thani def. Brad Robinson via TKO (soccer kick/strikes) at 4:40 of Round 1