“A lot of question marks” - ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong ponders if Angela Lee can return to form

Reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee makes her highly anticipated return to the circle this week after over two years on the sidelines. Naturally, fans have questions about whether she is going to be the same fighter she was two years ago or not.

Lee will meet No.1-ranked atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex in the main event of ONE X which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday, March 26.

In a recent interview with SCMP MMA, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong shared his thoughts on Angela Lee and the big main event showdown at ONE X. Chatri said:

“Angela is extraordinary, legendary for her heart, her skill, her talent. But she’s coming off a two-year layoff, pregnancy, and motherhood. How does that impact her body? How does it impact her killer instincts? How does it impact her strength and conditioning? These are all big factors -- her reflexes, her timing, and her willingness to get into a scrap. These are all questions that reasonable fans or experts have of Angela. And of course, Angela is a wizard on the ground. But you know, a lot of question marks, whereas with Stamp, her confidence is sky high.”

The head honcho at ONE is clearly interested to see how Lee fares in her much anticipated comeback fight. Equally, he’s just as excited to see how far Stamp has come in her MMA career and if she can beat Lee. He added:

“In Stamp, you have an atomweight World Grand Prix champion, who in the last few years has run through opponents. Her confidence is sky high, and her skills are razor sharp and upgrading. Every time I see Stamp, I’m just blown away by the improvement in her wrestling and in her jiu-jitsu. She’s a world-class striker, a world champion in Muay Thai, a world champion in kickboxing. And she has KO power.”

Check out the full interview video with SCMP MMA:

---

Stamp Fairtex can make history with win over Angela Lee

Another massive storyline heading into this matchup is Stamp’s opportunity to win a historic third world title in a third different sport. She previously held the ONE atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles, but a victory over Angela Lee would mean adding a mixed martial arts world title to her mantle as well.

That being said, Chatri has made it clear that he thinks Stamp has a slight advantage in this fight. In the same interview, Chatri said:

“This is definitely one of the biggest world title fights in the history of ONE, definitely the biggest female fight in the history of ONE. I think many experts think it’s a fifty-fifty fight. But I give the edge to Stamp. This is the first time in Angela’s career where she’s truly an underdog, in my eyes, where the odds are stacked against her.”