Singapore’s Angela “Unstoppable” Lee (9-0) is looking to claim another piece of mixed martial art’s history on Friday, 9 November at ONE: HEART OF THE LION, inside Singapore’s Indoor Stadium.
Lee, who is the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion will take on China’s “ The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan (13-1) for Xiong‘s ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title. If the undefeated Lee can defeat the heavy hitting Xiong, she will become the first woman competing for a major mixed martial arts promotion to earn the label of two-division champ.
Lee’s legion of fans has grown accustomed to seeing her defy the odds and rewrite the record books. In 2016, at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER the then 19-year-old Lee defeated Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi to become the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion.
Lee’s victory over Yamaguchi made her the youngest athlete from a global mixed martial arts promotion to be crowned a World Champion. After three successful defenses of her ONE Atomweight World Title, Lee, who is always on the lookout for her next challenge, indicated that she was eyeing up a potential matchup with the ONE Strawweight World Champion.
“Since she became World Champion, I’ve been keeping an eye on her and watching her closely during her matches and seeing how things play out,” Lee said in the lead up to Xiong’s successful title defense against Brazilian Samara Santos at September’s ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON.
Soon after Xiong’s defeat of Santos the bout between her and Lee was made official, sending fans and media into a frenzy at the thought of two of ONE’s most dominant athletes sharing the cage. However, Lee will go into this bout fully aware that she will face the most difficult assignment of her professional career to-date.
The scale of the task ahead of her is not lost on Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, in a recent media conference call, Sityodtong was open about what lies ahead of Lee.
“I put Angela as a heavy underdog in this fight because she’s moving up a weight against a very, very dangerous KO striker with a 13-1 record, ”Sityodtong said, not mincing words.
“She’s [Xiong] finished almost everybody she’s faced. That being said, I also know Angela, and she’s always about making history.”
Since arriving at ONE at the end of 2017, “The Panda” has put on one impressive showing after another and has made the strawweight division her own.
When Xiong, who was formerly a boxer began her transition into mixed martial arts she relied heavily on her powerful stand-up game however over the years she has worked hard on developing her skills and has transformed into a complete martial artist. Xiong’s dedication to her training has not gone unnoticed.
“She has shown vast improvement in every single element of her game,” said Mitch Chilson, a member of the ONE commentary team.
“She’s got really strong boxing, and that’s her main weapon. But now we’re seeing her evolve into a ground specialist.”
Xiong’s ground game was on recent display in June against rugged Argentinian Laura Balin at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER.
Xiong dominated Balin in the standup but was as equally at home on the ground as she was on her feet. Xiong’s constant grappling pressure allowed her to showcase her ground and pound expertise.
The 30-year-old who trains out of Bali MMA, one of Southeast Asia’s premier mixed martial art gyms only seems to be getting better each time she makes that walk to the cage.
“This title around my waist represents all the hard work I have put into my craft since the very beginning of my career. I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child. It is my passion, my livelihood, and my life,” said Xiong during the recent media conference call.
“Angela [Lee] is a tremendous fighter and champion, and I respect her as a martial artist. But this is my division and my belt, I will never give it up without a fight. On 9 November, the world will witness history, but I will leave the arena still champion.”
The challenge that Xiong represents will ensure that when the bout begins, fans will see the best version of Angela Lee there is.
“I live for challenges, this is why I do what I do, to test myself against the very best in the world. Now I am ready for a new challenge, and entering the strawweight division has lit a fire underneath me. On 9 November, prepare to see a more focused, faster, and stronger Angela Lee,” Lee said during the call.
“I believe in my team and my coaches, my Dad. I know what’s at stake here and I will do everything that I can to come out the winner. It’s time to make history.”
For fans and the athletes themselves, the opportunity to witness and participate in bouts of this magnitude do not come along every day. So everybody involved can expect the hype, anticipation, and tension to continue to increase as November 9 draws ever closer.
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