Relive Angela Lee’s professional MMA debut against Aya Saber in 2015

While Angela Lee is still one of the top fighters in ONE Championship heading into 2023, eight years ago, she was a fairly unknown fighter competing on the preliminary cards of events.

The promotion recently re-posted the ONE women’s atomweight world champion’s pro-MMA debut, which she made for ONE Championship in 2015. She fought Egyptian fighter Aya Saber at ONE: Warrior’s Quest in Singapore after a 3-0 amateur career. The fight didn’t make it out of the first round and paved the way not only for a highly successful career for Lee but for her two siblings, Christian and Victoria, as well.

Check out Angela Lee's debut in 2015:

Less than 20 seconds into the fight, Lee threw Saber to the mat and began to hunt for submissions right away. Taking the back, Saber bucked and rolled to give Lee the top position in side control. The future world champion quickly attempted the armbar, switching from one side to the other to get the finish at just 1:43 in the opening round.

Just five fights after her pro debut, Angela Lee faced Mei Yamaguchi for the 115-pound belt, beginning Lee’s time as a world champion. Every fight she’s participated in for the last six years has been scheduled as a five-round world championship fight.

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Angela Lee congratulates brother Adrian, the latest Lee to win a belt

Seven years after Angela Lee fought Aya Saber on the prelim card, the Lee family is now a dynasty in ONE Championship.

Her brother Christian Lee is a two-division world champion at lightweight and welterweight. Her younger sister Victoria Lee is on a similar path to success, starting her career at 3-0 in ONE Championship.

The youngest of the Lee family, Adrian, is following the same family legacy in MMA. He recently won an amateur title in their native of Hawaii, winning by second-round guillotine choke.

Angela Lee took to Instagram to congratulate her youngest brother:

With Adrian at age 15 and Angela still just 26 years old, the Lee family has a long future in the limelight of MMA that may only be halfway realized.

Next to compete is Victoria, who fights on January 13 at ONE on Prime Video 6 in Bangkok, Thailand. She’ll make her strawweight debut when she fights Indian rising star Zeba Bano for her fourth pro fight.

For Angela, her 2023 could get interesting. She’s mostly cleaned out her division, but a fight with former ROAD FC world champion Ham Seo Hee could loom if the promotion decides to go that way.

If Stamp Fairtex is successful against Anissa Meksen in a few weeks, a rematch with her could prove compelling, as Stamp had incredibly strong moments in their initial fight.

As a jiujitsu black belt, Angela Lee could also choose to entertain ONE’s submission grappling division fans and fight Danielle Kelly as well. There are always options for the Lee family, and there’ll surely be plenty of gold to contest for the competitive family.