Angela Lee speaks on two-division world championship attempt: “I just didn’t have luck competing at 125 pounds”

Angela Lee remained an accomplished ONE atomweight world champion until she relinquished her title by retiring due to the untimely death of her younger sister, Victoria. She officially hung up the gloves during a special announcement at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023.

Apart from being a dominant 115-pound champion, ‘Unstoppable’ also dared to become a two-division world champion under the world’s largest martial arts organization. Angela moved up to the strawweight division and competed there three times. Unfortunately, she absorbed losses from all her bouts in the heavier weight class.

In her appearance on The Aloha Hour podcast, Angela Lee explains that she has no problem fighting against the top fighters in the 125-pound division and that fortune is just not on her side.

Lee expounded:

“For me, in my experience, I fought at 115 pounds and I fought at 125 pounds, for some reason whatever it may be, injuries or just strategy, I think I just didn't have luck competing at 125 pounds. I think I competed three times and I lost all three times and I don't necessarily think it was like a strength factor because I feel like I was on the same level as the girls I was competing at 125 pounds."

She added:

“I'm not sure. I can't really speak from experience but I do know that for me I felt comfortable at that weight I just didn't have luck, you know? It could be a variety of reasons who knows.”

The Evolve MMA and United MMA-affiliated athlete fought Xiong Jing Nan twice and Michelle Nicolini in her strawweight bouts. Lee absorbed a knockout and a unanimous decision loss to ‘The Panda’ while Nicolini handed her another decision defeat.

Despite not achieving double champ status, Angela Lee has etched herself in the history books of ONE Championship.