ONE Championship strawweight world champion 'Panda Bear' Xiong Jing Nan's rivalry with atomweight champion Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee is one for the ages.
In the fight business, when two great champions rise high above their competition, their paths inevitably converge. Such is the case with Xiong and Lee. Both champions dominated their weight classes and were increasingly running out of opponents.
Like the Gods atop Mount Olympus, the pair were high above everyone else and so their clash was bound to happen. Lee, who made history for capturing gold at the age of 19, wanted to make history again. She set her sights on winning a second belt in a weight class above hers.
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That weight class is ruled with an iron fist by Xiong, the strawweight champion. Lee's double-champ aspirations have sparked one of the greatest rivalries in women's MMA history.
What's great about this intense rivalry is that it's far from done. The two inevitably clashed in a two-fight series that spanned just one year. With one win a piece, they will definitely see each other again.
A rubber match might be on the horizon in 2022.
Watch the full rivalry recap here:
ONE Championship strawweight queen Xiong Jing Nan fights again at ONE: Heavy Hitters
On January 14, at ONE: Heavy Hitters, we will witness the return of the dominant champion Xiong Jing Nan. The ONE strawweight world champion is running out of challengers in her division and is primed for another go at Angela Lee.
Before making a case for another crack at Angela Lee, however, Xiong has to go through the grappling puzzle of Ayaka 'Zombie' Miura.
The Japanese submission expert has a signature move that she's used in almost all her stoppage wins: the scarfhold armlock.
In the sport of MMA today, the best fighters tend to have complete and balanced combinations of skillsets and techniques. One cannot simply rely on one move or technique to win fights.
Miura, however, has become an exception to the rule. She repeatedly finds a way to get her opponents locked into her signature armlock. It's like having a pro wrestling signature move but it's done in a real-life fight. It's fascinating and very interesting to see pulled off repeatedly.
Tune in on January 14 and watch how the champion Xiong repels the grappling weaponry of Miura inside the ONE Championship cage.