Angela Lee says therapy is just one ‘great tool’ for dealing with depression: “There are many different ways”

Former ONE women’s atomweight MMA world champion and ONE Championship legend ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee may no longer officially hold a world title, but she remains a champion, just in a different setting.

Lee retired from professional MMA competition a few weeks ago at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video, and announced that she will now be shifting her focus to running her non-profit organization, FightStory, which aims to help people suffering with depression and suicide.

FightStory was established months after the passing of Lee’s younger sister Victoria, who tragically took her own life in December of 2022.

Speaking to veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in an exclusive interview on The MMA Hour, Lee talked about her own battles with her mental health, and what she tried to do to help her cope with the loss of Victoria.

‘Unstoppable’ said:

“I have tried to be connected with a therapist and I tried therapy. It didn't work for me and I think that's okay. I think that there are many different ways for people to take care of their mental health. Therapy is a great way, it's a great tool to have, but it's not the end all be all. Sometimes it won't be the right fit for everybody.”

More importantly, Lee says having a strong support system is very important. She added:

“I think just making sure that you find ways to take care of yourself and I have a really great support system now. I have a great relationship with my husband, great relationship with close friends, and they help me to keep filling my cup back up. All these other little tools that I have, to take care of my mental health, it's been doing good for me.”

Lee made her retirement from MMA official just before the main event of ONE Fight Night 14 in Singapore, when she entered the Circle for the final time to symbolically lay her golden belt on the canvas. Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex ended up defeating South Korea’s Ham Seo Hee later that evening to capture the vacant ONE women’s atomweight MMA world title.