Former ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Angela Lee shocked everyone at the peak of her career by announcing her retirement at ONE Fight Night 14 in Singapore. This decision came after the tragic death of her younger sister, Victoria Lee, who also competed in the promotion back in 2021. The loss of her sister, combined with significant changes in her life, led Angela to relinquish the belt that she only she has held since it was introduced.

Angela is now focused on pursuing her other passions, including running a non-profit organization called “Fight Story,” which was established in memory of her late sister. This initiative aims to honor Victoria’s legacy and support athletes facing depression and other mental health challenges.

Recently, Angela Lee appeared on the Yanagida podcast on Spotify. When asked how she would describe herself, Angela chuckled and revealed, “Well, first and foremost, I’m a wife and mother to Ava. Even though I retired, I still consider myself a fighter. I’m a gym owner and founder. My fight story, you know, it was incredible. For people that do know me, they’re like, yeah.”

Since her ONE Championship debut, Angela Lee embarked on a dominant run, amassing a nine-fight winning streak. While she encountered minor setbacks along the way, they pale in comparison to her overall success. Although Angela may have retired, her legacy lives on through her younger brothers, Christian Lee and Adrian Lee, ensuring the family’s martial arts dominance continues.

Adrian Lee and Christian Lee: upcoming fights and matchups

18-year-old phenom Adrian Lee stunned everyone with his dominant debut win in the ONE Championship lightweight MMA division, submitting Antonio Mammarella in the second round at ONE 167 in June. Lee is now set to compete at ONE 168: Denver, facing American newcomer Nicolas Cornejo on September 6th at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Meanwhile, his brother and two-division king Christian Lee has been absent from competition for two years following the tragic passing of his younger sister, Victoria Lee. After focusing on healing and growing his own family, he is now ready to return to the fight game. “The Warrior” will defend his ONE Lightweight MMA World Title against undefeated Alibeg Rasulov (14-0) at ONE 169: Atlanta, marking ONE Championship’s second event in the United States this year.

While her brothers dominate the MMA circuit, Angela Lee has shifted focus to the “Fight Story” initiative. Her retirement seems premature as she actively pursues other ventures and is currently filming her biopic, “Unstoppable,” directed by Nainoa Langer. It’s encouraging to see Angela Lee’s influence extending beyond MMA, but her absence leaves an irreplaceable void in the MMA world.