Who should Victoria Lee fight next? 

Victoria Lee has lived up to the hype so far in ONE Championship, and she may be ready to move up in the women’s atomweight division.

Lee is the sister of ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee and former ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee. As such, expectations were high for the 18-year-old even before she stepped into the circle.

However, ‘The Prodigy’ has proven that the hype is real, dominating the competition since her arrival in 2021.

She submitted Thailand’s Sunisa Srisan in the second round of their match to introduce herself in a big way. She followed it up with a quick first-round submission against Wang Luping to snap the Chinese fighter’s three-fight win streak.

Lee’s latest appearance came in September 2021, where she claimed a TKO victory over erstwhile undefeated promotional newcomer Victoria Souza.

Lee has shown that she has the skills to be a legitimate contender in the division now and in the years to come. Now that the teenage phenom has graduated high school, she could be ready to take on bigger names in the promotion’s dynamic roster.

When Victoria Lee returns, here are some potential matchups she could consider:

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Victoria Lee vs. Jenelyn Olsim - MMA Atomweight

Like Lee, Jenelyn Olsim is a rising star in the women’s atomweight division. The Filipina is a product of the famed Team Lakay stable. She first showcased her talents in Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series program and later earned her spot on the main roster.

While Team Lakay is known for their legendary strikers, Olsim is part of the next generation of stars from the stable who are more well-rounded in their skills. She currently has a 4-1 record in ONE Championship, with her latest win coming at the expense of Julie Mezabarba at ONE 158.

It can be argued that Olsim is just right outside the top five of the division after her latest win, and the same can be said with Lee’s three-fight win streak. Against Olsim, Victoria Lee will face her most experienced opponent in MMA yet. The Filipina could be a capable barometer for how far the Pankration and IMMAF junior world champion has come on her mixed martial arts journey.

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Victoria Lee vs. Alyse Anderson - MMA Atomweight

Alyse Anderson made her ONE Championship debut in the quarterfinals of the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix and made a strong impression against Itsuki Hirata.

While she lost via unanimous decision to the Japanese star, Anderson learned well from it and used it to pick up a win at ONE 157. There, she made quick work of Asha Roka, catching the Indian national boxing champion in a triangle choke at just over the two-minute mark of the first round. Anderson claimed the sixth win of her career, with two wins each via TKO, submission, and decision.

The American fighter is listed as 165cm tall, which means she will be the tallest MMA fighter that Lee will face in the circle. Lee is listed as 166cm tall and had a slight height advantage over her first three opponents.

Of course, height and reach are not too much of a factor in a Victoria Lee match, considering she usually has her way with her opponents on the ground. Still, matching up against a fighter of a similar height could offer a good challenge for Lee’s growth as a martial artist.

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Victoria Lee vs Danielle Kelly - Submission Grappling

BJJ star Danielle Kelly made her ONE Championship debut at ONE X, the promotion’s 10-year anniversary showcase. Kelly is part of the growing submission grappling roster, as ONE Championship is aiming to put more shine on the sport in its events.

Kelly did not disappoint, showcasing her skills in 12 minutes of action against former ONE women’s atomweight world title contender Mei Yamaguchi. The 26-year-old was rewarded a US $50,000 bonus for her impressive performance in the match. Later, the American expressed her desire to compete in another submission grappling bout before taking a swing at MMA.

Lee could consider locking horns with Kelly in a submission grappling bout if she wants to go back to her wrestling and Pankration backgrounds while waiting for her next MMA match, which could also be against Kelly as well.

Their series of matches could feature in ONE Championship's upcoming US primetime events, to showcase a familiar star in Danielle Kelly and a rising talent in Victoria Lee.