“I was just on top of the world” – Angela Lee reflects on early years turning pro at ONE Championship

‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee has had a lot of time to reflect on her career after announcing her retirement in September of 2023 at ONE Fight Night 14.

The former ONE atomweight MMA world champion spoke openly and confidently about the enormous amounts of pressure and anxiety that she faced whilst being at the top of the sport.

‘Unstoppable’ had one of the quickest rises to the top in the promotion's history, and her star potential was clear to see from day one.

Angela Lee spoke about the non-stop climb that characterized the first few years of her career during an appearance on the Keep It Aloha podcast. She said:

“It was a lot. It was intense. Everything happened so quickly. I believe when I got signed to ONE Championship in that first year I had [four] fights in a year back to back. And that time, you know, when I got signed and I was fighting I was just on top of the world. I was this young teenager just fresh out of high school and doing what I love so everything was new and I was just brighty taking it all in you know and it was fun.”

Watch the full interview below:

Angela Lee left behind an unforgettable title run

Following her rapid rise to the top of the atomweight division, Angela Lee was able to defend her crown and position for a long time, and even left the game on her own terms.

Her title reign will be remembered long after she vacated the title, which is now held by Stamp Fairtex.

Though she may have come up short in trying to become a two-division world champion during her epic battles with Xiong Jing Nan, no one could beat her at atomweight.

To achieve what she did while battling through severe anxiety and pressure at the time only speaks to the incredible fighting spirit of one of the best champions in the history of the promotion.