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The rivalry between champions Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee for the ONE Championship strawweight and atomweight belts is something every MMA fan should see. Their first fight, which took place in 2019, was an instant classic.
Lee vied to make history by becoming ONE's first female champ-champ by challenging Xiong for her strawweight belt.
The first three rounds were razor-close, with Lee pushing the pace and moving forward with straight punches. Xiong countered a lot with her powerful hooks in the pocket.
The biggest difference, however, was Lee's clinch work and takedowns. The atomweight champion was able to secure a couple of throws from the clinch and controlled Xiong on the ground for significant stretches in the fight.
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The penultimate moment happened in round four, when Lee was able to secure a triangle armbar that looked like it was going to end the match. Not to be deterred, Xiong refused to tap and made it to the end of the round.
Come the fifth and final frame, Lee looked exhausted from trying to finish the armbar. Xiong went on a relentless attack on Lee's body and eventually folded the atomweight queen. It was one of the craziest comebacks the sport has ever seen.
Watch the full fight here:
Angela Lee defends her ONE Championship atomweight belt at ONE: X
Just a few months after their first fight, Xiong proceeded to drop down a weight class to then challenge Lee for her atomweight belt. The bout was also a classic but had a different result.
This time, Lee was the one who mounted a comeback and submitted the Chinese champion. Now that they are 1-1, a rubber match is inevitable if Lee can go through Stamp Fairtex first.
The atomweight queen will return to headline ONE Championship's biggest event yet, ONE: X, on March 26. Against her will be ONE's former Muay Thai and kickboxing champion Stamp Fairtex, who has been dominant in her MMA career thus far.
With Xiong Jing Nan soundly defeating her challenger Ayaka Miura last month, if Lee beats Stamp in March we might see the biggest trilogy fight in women's MMA history. We just need to tune in to find out.
