Angela Lee's most inspirational victories

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee is looking to exert her dominance in ONE Championship as she challenges “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan for the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title at ONE: Heart Of The Lion on November 9 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The undefeated champion puts her immaculate record on the line against a dangerous opponent in Xiong. Even ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes that Lee is coming into the contest as a heavy underdog for the first time in her career.

However, Sityodtong also believes that if there is anyone who can overcome such a risk, it would be Lee, and for good reason. Lee has figured in some incredible wins through her run to the top, and has all the tools to add another inspirational win to her resume.

Check out some of her top performances in ONE Championship.

Taking The World’s Attention

After scoring impressive first round submissions in her first two bouts, Lee was starting to pique the interest of the martial arts world. On November 2015, Lee grabbed the spotlight and introduced herself to the sport that would later make her a global star.

At ONE: Pride Of Lions, Filipina-English martial artist Natalie Gonzalez-Hills stepped up to challenge Lee as she made her debut for the promotion at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Filipina contender looked determined to keep the bout on the feet, fully aware of Lee’s grappling prowess. Lee accepted the challenge, matching her opponent’s strikes with her own powerful blows.

Hills would soon force Lee to the ground, but before she could mount a significant offense, the Singaporean hero flipped her over to take dominant position.

Hills however put up a valiant defensive front while on her back. She managed to prevent Lee from finishing the bout with ground-and-pound and slithered away from a rear-naked choke. What she wasn’t ready for, was the Twister – an extremely difficult and rare submission to pull off in the cage.

As soon as Lee locked it in, Hills tapped out to stop the contest at the 2:24 mark of the very first round.

The move propelled Lee to global consciousness, and even earned a top 40 ranking in the Best Submissions of 2015 according to martial arts website Tapology.

More Than Just a Submission Machine

Lee won the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship on May 2016 and put her title on the line for the very first time the following year at ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM, which was held at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Undefeated ONE veteran Jenny Huang earned the opportunity to challenge for the title after submitting April Osenio at ONE: Age Of Domination with a Gogoplata – an equally rare submission to Lee’s famous Twister.

The Singaporean heroine, who at the time racked up five submissions in her six victories, showed a different dimension to her game as she dominated her Taiwanese rival in the first round of the match.

Huang tried to stand toe-to-toe with the champion in the second round, but it proved to be her undoing. Lee showcased incredible striking skills, peppering Huang with a myriad of punch and kick combinations.

In the third round, Lee finally took the action to the ground and twisted her way to an unorthodox position where Huang’s arm was trapped behind her back, leaving her right side vulnerable to a barrage of punches.

At the 3:37 mark of the round, the referee stopped the contest after Huang could no longer intelligently defend herself.

The victory marked the first time that Lee won by TKO and sent a message to the division that her striking was quickly getting up to par with her grappling.

Overcoming Tragedy

The record books may have Lee winning by unanimous decision against Mei Yamaguchi in ONE: Ascent To Power, but the fact that “Unstoppable” needed all five rounds to earn the victory had fans clamoring for a rematch between the two powerhouses.

Two years after their epic first encounter, the world finally got its wish as they figured in a rematch for the atomweight title at ONE: Unstoppable Dreams at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The first round saw both competitors stay on their feet, while the second was spent mostly on the mat. In both rounds, it was Lee who took the advantage, and even came close to submitting Yamaguchi before the bell.

Yamaguchi battled back in the third, being more aggressive in her attack, but as the round drew to a close, it was Lee who had dominant position. A rear-naked choke almost had the Japanese warrior tapping out, but Yamaguchi held on until the round was over.

With her back against the wall, Yamaguchi came out on fire in the fourth and finally looked like she won a round against the crowd favorite.

Knowing that only a finish would turn the tide in her favor, Yamaguchi turned up the intensity in the final round. A head kick from the Japanese heroine caused Lee to lose balance, but the champion recovered quick enough to defend herself from the dangerous underdog. They would battle it out until the final bell finally separated them for good.

In the end, Lee once again escaped Yamaguchi with a unanimous decision win – only the second time in the Singaporean’s career that her match went the distance. It was an emotional win for Lee, as it was her first match back since suffering a near-fatal car crash just a few months before.